Related Experiment Videos
Choroidal malignant melanoma
S F Murphy1, C F Mahl, S M Bloom
1Retina Associates, Louisville, Kentucky.
Optometry Clinics : the Official Publication of the Prentice Society
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Choroidal nevi, often benign, may precede malignant melanomas. Diagnosis involves multiple methods, with treatment varying by tumor size, from observation to enucleation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
Background:
- Choroidal nevi are common, found in 1-2% of patients during routine eye exams.
- These benign lesions are considered potential precursors to choroidal malignant melanomas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the diagnostic and treatment approaches for choroidal malignant melanoma.
Main Methods:
- Diagnosis is multifactorial, utilizing funduscopic, angiographic, and ultrasonographic findings.
- A metastatic workup is initiated upon melanoma diagnosis.
- Treatment strategies are size-dependent: observation for small tumors, radiation or enucleation for medium, and enucleation for large tumors.
Main Results:
- Choroidal malignant melanoma incidence is approximately 6 cases per million persons annually in the US.
- Treatment modalities include observation, radioactive plaque therapy, external beam radiation, and enucleation.
Conclusions:
- Management of choroidal melanoma is tailored to tumor size.
- Ongoing research aims to determine the optimal treatment strategy.