[Local treatment of choroidal melanoma: possibilities and limitations]

Local treatment of choroidal melanoma (CM) attracts the attention of many ophthalmology specialists, especially in recent years as the capabilities to target irradiation at small objects and possibilities of surgical interventions on the eyeball have expanded. The article discusses the medical indications for local treatment of CM. Review of literature of the last 16 years and author's own observations on CM patients who underwent almost all kinds of conventional methods of local treatment allowed thorough analysis of indications and counter-indications for their usage. Among the authors who favor local destruction and removal of large CM, the main indication is the possibility to preserve vision and anatomical structures of the eye. This led to unreasonably wide spread of local destruction (removal) of large CM, primarily the endovitreal resection method. However, such metastasis risk factors as CM size and its localization are being overlooked. Literature analysis and author's own observations helped validate the unsafety of the local treatment of large CM. The article features long-term results of contact and distant radiation therapy, and presents CM metrics for best therapeutic effect.