Search for: [Abstract = "Introduction\: The aim of study was to analyse and assess the diagnostic course in patients with uveal melanoma. Methods\: The analysis was performed in 248 patients among 490 with diagnosed uveal melanoma who were referred to the Ophtalmology Clinic in Cracow in 2004. The assessment of incidence of the delay was performed according to the criteria of WHO and Pack and Gallo. Results\: The clinical symptoms were found in 83,5% patients. The most common ones were\: decrease in sight \(47,6%\) and loss in vision field \(45,6%\). In 16,5% of subjects the tumour was detected accidentally. In nearly 41% of patients with melanoma the right diagnosis was not established during the first visit to the ophtalmologist. The delay of uveal melanoma diagnosis \(in 36,3% of patients\) was more often caused by patient’s attitude \(48,9%\) than physician’s procedure \(44,5%\). The most frequent cause of the delay resulting from patient’s behaviour was underestimation of symptoms \(79,2%\), personal troubles \(10,4%\), lack of time \(6,2%\) and fear \(4,2%\). The delay caused by doctors most often was due to treatment of additional ocular diseases \(54,3%\), establishing improper diagnosis \(37,0%\) and follow up of the pathological change \(8,7%\). The factors which affected diagnosis of tumour during the first ophtalmological examination were\: visual acuity of distance and near in the affected eye\; lack of symptoms\; locat"]

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