Benign melanomas (nevi) of the choroid and ciliary body.

Introduction Benign melanomas (nevi) of the eye, especially those of the choroid, have been of great interest to the ophthalmologist, for he is faced with the problem, often urgent, of distinguishing between such a lesion and malignant melanoma. Such lesions have also been viewed with considerable suspicion because many observers consider them as having significant malignant potential. The purpose of this report is to define the incidence and general nature of benign melanomas of the choroid and ciliary body as determined by investigation of autopsy eye specimens from adults. Previous investigations of benign melanomas of the eye appear either to have been by clinical observation or by examination of accidentally discovered lesions in eyes enucleated for other reasons. Moore9summarized his clinical observations of several benign choroidal melanomas as follows: "in size they varied from about one half the area of the optic disc to about 4 times its