[Report on the conservative treatment of melanoma of the uvea at the Lausanne University Ophthalmologic Clinic].

A great number of techniques are currently available for the conservative treatment of uveal melanomas: ocular applicators emitting gamma rays 60Co, 125I) or high-energy beta rays (106Ru/106Rh), light photocoagulation, surgical excision, and accelerated proton beam irradiation. Life expectancy following conservative treatment is equal to or better than that following enucleation. This is demonstrated by nonrandomized comparative studies, and by the authors' own long-term results following the conservative treatment of melanomas by 60Co applicators: mortality due to metastases of small melanomas was 3% (V = smaller than 10 x 10 x 3 mm), with medium-size melanomas it was 12% (V = 10 x 10 x 3-15 x 15 x 5 mm), and with large melanomas 21% (V = larger than 15 x 15 x 5 mm). Accelerated proton beam irradiation of uveal melanomas is currently the method of choice for the conservative treatment of uveal melanomas. The sharp boundaries of the irradiated zone, the uniformly distributed irradiation dose, and beam-splitting are the main advantages of this technique. During the last three years, 310 cases of uveal melanoma have been treated in Switzerland with an accelerated proton beam. Of these, 214 were followed up for more than one year. Eight patients (3.9%) died of metastases. Visual acuity was identical or superior to initial visual acuity in 60.3% of the cases, while 39.6% exhibited a deterioration of vision or a functional loss. Favorable results achieved by conservative treatment of uveal melanomas considerably limited the indications for enucleation, which is now only performed in exceptional situations.