Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
Implantation and Evaluation of Melanoma in the Murine Choroid via Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 2, 2022
Multifocal iris melanoma treated with total anterior segment palladium-103 plaque radiation therapy
Vasileois Petousis1, Paul T Finger, Tatyana Milman
1The New York Eye Cancer Center, 115 East 61st Street, New York City, NY 10065, USA.
Background:
A 73-year-old patient presented in our clinic with multiple pigmented iris nodules in the left eye. Though asymptomatic, there was a reported increase in size and number of the nodules during the past year.
Methods:
Interventional case report describing a biopsy-proven multifocal iris melanoma treated with a palladium-103 plaque to include the entire anterior chamber within the targeted zone. Biopsy was performed utilizing a 25-gauge aspiration-cutter under viscoelastic. The cornea was protected during radiation therapy with the amniotic membrane buffer technique. Evaluation parameters included visual acuity and clinical assessments aided by slit-lamp photography as well as high-frequency ultrasound imaging.
Results:
Plaque radiation therapy was well tolerated. Her visual acuity has remained within five letters at 20/25 at 1-year follow-up. Clinical evaluation revealed no evidence of corneal epitheliopathy, iris neovascularization, or visually significant cataract. High-frequency ultrasound imaging revealed a 15% reduction of the tumor's height. Serial abdominal imaging revealed no metastatic uveal melanoma.
Conclusions:
We present a biopsy-proven iris diffuse melanoma treated with palladium-103 plaque radiation therapy. Though the entire anterior segment was irradiated, there were no significant side-effects. Local tumor control was excellent during the first postoperative year.
