Need for confirmation of positioning of ruthenium plaques by postoperative B-scan ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Plaque positioning is of utmost importance for the effective treatment of intraocular lesions. The authors' objective was to verify the position of ruthenium plaques after surgical placement.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The authors studied the positions of ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaques in 43 patients treated for choroidal tumors by B-scan echography on the first postoperative day.

RESULTS

In 29 of 43 eyes (67.4%) the episcleral plaque was found to be well centered 1 day after surgery. Ten eyes (23.3%) had borderline-placed plaques, and the remaining 4 (9.3%) plaques were malpositioned. All the malpositioned plaques were situated behind posterior tumors whose uncovered edge was adjacent to the optic nerve.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasonic verification in the postoperative period is essential to detect inadvertent misplacement or displacement of radioactive plaques. Plaque replacement or additional and modified treatment can be considered for those plaques found to have moved after the surgical placement.