Iris Metastasis of Esophageal Cancer.

A 75-year-old man was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology at our hospital due to pain in his left eye. An ophthalmologic examination revealed a tumor on the surface of the left iris at 3 o’clock (Picture 1), suggesting a metastatic malignant disease. F-Fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) revealed abnormal uptake in the esophagus, liver, and lymph nodes as well as a lesion in the left eye (Picture 2). An endoscopic examination revealed type I advanced esophageal cancer 35 cm from the dental arches (Picture 3), and the histological findings indicated squamous cell carcinoma. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the patient with iris metastasis of esophageal cancer and the patient received radiotherapy for the left eye and esophagus. The tumor in the left eye reduced in size and the pain was also alleviated after radiotherapy, however, the patient’s vision failed to improve. Metastasis of the iris in patients with esophageal cancer is extremely rare (1, 2).