Table 2 Risk factors and other worth mentioning features of uveal melanoma

Congenital risk factors

Light eye color, fair skin color, inability to tan and propensity to sunburn, oculodermal melanocytosis, cutaneous, iris and choroidal nevus, ancestry from northern latitudes

Main environmental risk factors

Welding, occupational cooking, sunlight exposure

Overall mortality rate

40–50% in 15 years

Metastases rate

50% of patients

Survival rate (month)

 With liver metastases

4–6

 Other metastases

19–28

Metastatic location (%)

 Liver

89

 Lung

29

 Bone

17

 Skin and subcutaneous tissue

12

 Lymph nodes

11

 Central nervous system

2

Predictive factors for metastatic disease

Basal tumor diameter, ciliary body involvement, extrascleral extension, epithelioid melanoma cytology, microvascular density