Metastasis of bronchial carcinoid tumor to choroid. A case report.

Carcinoid tumors are rare tumors with low malignancy. They are most often located in the digestive system and the bronchial tree. They metastasize to the lymph nodes, liver, bones and very rarely to the eye. Choroidal metastases almost always originate from the bronchial tree. Inversely, most orbital metastases originate in the digestive tract. Sometimes they have an orange color useful for diagnosis. We report the case of a woman who developed a bronchogenic carcinoid tumor at the age of 18, and presented five years later, with bilateral and multifocal choroidal metastases. There was no other metastatic site. She has been treated with photocoagulation and cryotherapy. From the 25 previously reported cases, one can summarize that these specific metastasis grow slowly and allow good long-term survival.