To investigate various imaging techniques for the diagnosis of primary uveal melanomas in Korean patients.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 35 eyes in 35 patients (22 males, 13 females) diagnosed with uveal melanomas between September 2004 and December 2006. The findings of fundus photographs, ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI, and PET scan were documented.

A/B scan ultrasonography showed typical findings of uveal melanomas in 74.3% (26 eyes) of the patients. On CT scan, the mass appeared as a homogenous hyperdense lesion, and on MRI, the typical signal of hyperintensity on the T1-weighted image and hypointensity on the T2-weighted image was seen in 89.3% (25 eyes), with contrast enhancement in only 46.4% (13 eyes) of the patients. A PET scan revealed positive tumor uptake in 22.7% (5 eyes) of the patients.

Although ultrasonography is the most useful and accurate method for the diagnosis of uveal melanoma, it provides more atypical cases in Korean patients than Caucasian patients. CT scans and MRI can be used for a differential diagnosis, but the diagnostic efficacy of PET scans is low.