Endoresection of a high equatorial choroidal melanoma.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe previously unreported endoresection of a high equatorial choroidal melanoma. METHODS: Surgical case report imaged with wide-angle retinography and angiography, ecography, optical coherence tomography, and a short video of surgical procedure. RESULTS: The authors describe a 9.68-mm thick mushroom-shaped equatorial melanoma, which was successfully treated by endoresection. A wide-field lens and scleral indentation allowed complete tumor removal by the vitrectomy probe. Liquid perfluorocarbon stabilized the retina, therefore laser endophotocoagulation was applied to tumor margins and the scleral bed. Silicone oil was left as a tamponade, and a ruthenium-106 plaque for radiation therapy was sutured to the episclera. Eleven months after endoresection surgery, there were no signs of systemic or local recurrences. CONCLUSION: Endoresection of an equatorial choroidal melanoma was shown to be a safe technique in this patient, allowing the preservation of anatomy and function of the eye. It should be considered as an option for the treatment of large equatorial choroidal melanomas.