RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL-DETACHMENT IN EYES WITH UVEAL MELANOMA

Purpose: To describe the clinical features, surgical management, and o utcome of patients with uveal melanoma who presented with or later dev eloped a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Methods: We retrospectivel y identified four patients who presented with uveal melanoma and rhegm atogenous retinal detachment: simultaneously and six patients in whom a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment developed 11-100 months (mean, 44. 8 months) after radiotherapy for a choroidal melanoma. Results: All fo ur patients with simultaneous presentation of uveal melanoma and retin al detachment underwent successful retinal detachment repair (cases 1 and 4, scleral buckle; case 2, pars plana vitrectomy, and case 3, pneu matic retinopexy). Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment occurring after p roton beam or plaque radiotherapy of uveai melanoma was repaired succe ssfully in five of six patients with scleral buckling alone or in comb ination with pars plana vitrectomy. In the short follow-up period of t his study, we did not observe tumor recurrence either before or after retinal detachment repair. Conclusion: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachme nt associated with uveal melanoma may be treated successfully using co nventional retinal surgical techniques. The benefits of retinal detach ment repair must be weighed against any theoretical increased risk of extrascleral extension of the melanoma, tong-term follow-up evaluation will be required to determine the safety of Various retinal detachmen t repair techniques in these eyes.