At Retina Associates in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Cameron Javid provides specialized care for conditions and injuries involving the retina. Retina Associates has earned national recognition for its work in ocular oncology, having been chosen as a participant in the (COOG2) Collaborative Ocular Oncology Group and his site was in the landmark Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS).
Dr Javid has published posters, papers and co-authored a book chapter on the topic of eye melanoma.
Melanoma can develop in any of the body cells that produce pigment. It is common in the skin but may also develop in the eye. In most cases, this occurs in parts of the eye not visible externally, and so it is often difficult to detect.
Ocular melanoma may also be challenging to identify because it frequently presents without symptoms. However, it may cause vision loss, flashing sensations, and/or floating specks of 'dust' in the affected eye. It may also cause the pupil to change shape and may be visible as a dark spot on the iris, which is the colored part of the eye.
Patients who have light eye and skin color have a higher risk of ocular melanoma than those whose natural pigmentation is darker. Risk also increases with age and smoking. Certain skin disorders may increase a patient's risk as well.
A person who notices any of these signs or has significant risk factors may wish to visit his or her eye doctor. Through an eye exam, sometimes with the aid of imaging, an experienced ophthalmologist can identify possible melanomas and refer to an ocular oncologist such as Dr Cameron Javid for furhther evaluation.
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