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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
05:46
Implantation and Evaluation of Melanoma in the Murine Choroid via Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 2, 2022
Uveal melanoma in young patients
Arkadiusz Pogrzebielski1, Jolanta Orłowska-Heitzman, Bozena Romanowska-Dixon
1Department of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, ul. Kopemika 38, 31-501 Krakow, Poland. arkadius@mp.pl
Summary
Pediatric uveal melanoma is rare, primarily affecting the iris in young patients. This study highlights treatment outcomes and emphasizes the rarity of this eye cancer in adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
Background:
- Uveal melanoma is a rare malignancy.
- This study focuses on young patients (≤20 years) diagnosed between 1995-2002.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of pediatric uveal melanoma.
- To analyze the incidence and characteristics of uveal melanoma in patients aged 20 or younger.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control series.
- Analysis of 11 patients diagnosed with uveal melanoma aged 20 or younger.
- Review of treatment modalities including local resection, episcleral plaque brachytherapy (EPB) with Ru-106 or I-125, and enucleation.
Main Results:
- 11 pediatric patients (1.4%) were identified out of 800 total uveal melanoma cases.
- The majority of tumors (over 50%) occurred in the iris.
- Treatments included local resection (72%) and EPB (36%). All patients survived with no detected metastases during a mean follow-up of 61.4 months.
Conclusions:
- Uveal melanoma is exceptionally rare in children and teenagers.
- Iris involvement is common in pediatric cases.
- Favorable outcomes were observed with current treatment strategies, including brachytherapy.
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