Deadly Eye Diseases

The main threat most eye diseases pose to a person is vision problems or blindness, but some eye diseases can be fatal. One of the most dangerous eye conditions is ocular melanoma, a form of cancer that affects the eye.

Types

• An ocular melanoma can impact any part of the eye, but the most likely location is in the choroid layer--the layer of the blood vessels and tissue between the retina and whites of the eye.

Size

• Ocular melanoma is a rare form of cancer. There are roughly 2,400 incidences of ocular melanoma diagnosed each year, according to the Ocular Melanoma Foundation.

Effects

• The prognosis for people diagnosed with ocular melanoma varies depending on if it has spread from the eye to organs such as the liver. The five-year mortality rate for ocular melanoma is 35 percent, according to the Ocular Melanoma Foundation.

Treatment

• Surgical options when dealing with an ocular melanoma tumor include removing part or all of the eye. Radiation treatment can also be effective in killing or damaging cancer cells.

Famous Ties

• In the weeks leading up to spring training in 2009, Major League Baseball pitcher Jason Johnson was diagnosed with ocular melanoma. He was treated with a radiation plaque being placed over his eye for four days.