Unilateral tumor of the iris

We report the case of a 69-year-old asymptomatic woman who presented with the incidental diagnosis of a prominent, vascular, reddish tumor of the iris. The tumor displayed significant regression within months but reappeared years later with a similar morphology. Fluorescence angiography of the iris revealed a hypofluorescent area without intrinsic vasculature or prominent feeder vessels. In ultrasound biomicroscopy a solid, hypoechogenic iris mass was demonstrated most probably caused by varices of the iris which are a rare finding and difficult to differentiate from a cavernous hemangioma clinically.