[Circulating tumor cells in uveal melanoma : "The needle in the haystack"].

Background: A fundamental prerequisite for the development of clinically manifested metastases in uveal melanoma (UM) is the hematogenous dissemination of melanoma cells, which circulate in the systemic circulation, deposit in organs and can subsequently colonize the organs.

Material and methods: This article presents a review of the literature on the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTC) from UM and their relevance for the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of the malignancy.

Results: Since the first description of CTC in UM patients 20 years ago, only 20 articles have been published on the detection of intact CTCs in UM. Besides demonstrating the presence of CTCs in the systemic circulation, these articles give insights into the pathophysiology and chronology of CTC dissemination, the diagnostics and risk stratification of UM.

Conclusion: The detection of CTC in UM has proved to be beneficial in many ways. The early time of cell dissemination and also the associated factors should lead to a rethinking in the clinical routine in the context of the fatal danger of metastases.