[Survival rate of young patients with malignant choroidal melanoma after conservative treatment].

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was estimation of the results of treatment and probability of survival in patients with malignant choroidal melanoma at the age under 40 at the time of diagnosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

110 patients were treated, including 61 women and 49 men. The follow-up time was 5-25 years, in the diagnosis several different methods were used: ophthalmoscopy, ultrasonography, transillumination, and in some cases additionally computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescein angiography. All patients were also periodically tested for metastases. The following methods of treatment of melanoma were applied: xenon-arc photocoagulation (21 eyes), brachytherapy (33 eyes), combined treatment (45 eyes). In 58 patients enucleation, and in 2 exenteration were necessary.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Positive results of treatment were obtained in 48 patients (43.7%), 24 patients died because of metastases. The chance of survival was smaller in women, in cases of greatest dimension of the tumours, when the tumours were located in peripheral areas of the eye fundus, when the tumours infiltrated the optic nerve, and in epithelioid cell type of tumour.