UT Southwestern’s ocular oncology specialists treat a variety of tumors that develop within the eye (intraocular), on the surface of the eye (conjunctival), and around the eye (eyelid and orbital).
Intraocular Tumors
Intraocular tumors develop inside the eye. They include:
Choroidal hemangioma: A benign blood vessel tumor of the choroid layer (behind the retina)
Choroidal metastasis: Cancerous cells that develop elsewhere in the body and can spread to the eye, sometimes causing vision loss
Choroidal nevus: A mole inside the eye that can occasionally turn into a malignant melanoma
Retinal hemangioma: A benign blood vessel tumor of the retina that can lead to vision loss. This tumor type can be a sign of Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL), in which tumors form in multiple organs.
Retinoblastoma: A rare cancer of the retina that most often affects children under the age of 2.
Uveal/choroidal melanoma: A type of melanoma that develops in the layer of the eye called the uvea, which includes the choroid (behind the retina), iris (colored part of the eye), and ciliary body (behind the iris). This is the most common type of eye cancer.
Vitreoretinal lymphoma: A type of lymphoma, which is a cancer of the white blood cells, that affects the retina and vitreous gel of the inside of the eye. It often involves the brain as well.
Conjunctival Tumors
These tumors develop on the conjunctiva, the clear skinlike tissue covering the eye’s surface. They include:
Lymphoma: A cancer of the white blood cells that can also involve other organs in the body.
Melanoma: A cancer that rises in the conjunctiva. It is different from both skin melanoma and uveal/choroidal melanoma.
These include benign and malignant tumors on the eyelid or the tissues surrounding the eye. They include:
Eyelid tumors: These are skin cancers that can include squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, sebaceous cell carcinoma and lymphoma.
Orbital tumors: These tumors can arise from various tissues in the orbit (eye socket), and they may be benign or malignant.
Lacrimal gland tumors: These benign or malignant tumors can arise in the lacrimal gland, which is located under the eyebrow and is responsible for producing tears
Optic nerve tumors: These tumors are usually benign but are occasionally malignant. They can cause severe vision loss by damaging the optic nerve.
