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Br J Ophthalmol 2009;93:40-44 doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.142208
  • Original Article
    • Clinical science

Gamma knife radiosurgery for uveal melanoma: 12 years of experience

  1. G Modorati1,
  2. E Miserocchi1,
  3. L Galli2,
  4. P Picozzi3,
  5. P Rama1
  1. 1
    Department of Ophthalmology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
  2. 2
    Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
  3. 3
    Department of Neurosurgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
  1. Dr G Modorati, Department of Ophthalmology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy; modorati.giulio{at}hsr.it
  • Accepted 6 August 2008
  • Published Online First 29 August 2008

Abstract

Aim: To present our treatment protocol and evaluate the results of Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) in treating patients with uveal melanoma.

Methods: Seventy-eight consecutive patients with uveal melanoma underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (radiation dose 30–50 Gy) with a Leksell Gamma-Knife at the San Raffaele University Hospital, Milan, Italy between 1994 and 2006. The main outcome measures evaluated were: survival rate, local tumour control, eye retention rate, visual acuity and treatment-related complications.

Results: Survival rate was 88.8% at 3 years and 81.9% at 5 years. Local tumour control was achieved in 91.0% of patients. The median tumour thickness reduction after treatment was 1.96 mm (p<0.0001) (−32.1%). The eye retention rate was 89.7%. A significant relative reduction of visual acuity was observed during follow-up. The most frequent treatment-related complications were: exudative retinopathy (33.3%), neovascular glaucoma (18.7%), radiogenic retinopathy (13.5%) and vitreous haemorrhages (10.4%).

Conclusion: GKR can be considered an alternative to enucleation for the treatment of choroidal melanomas.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Ethics approval: Ethics approval was provided by HSR Ethics Committee.

  • Patient consent: Obtained.

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