Treatment of choroidal melanoma using photodynamic therapy

To InternetAdvance publication at ajo.com Feb 26, 2002. investigate the effect of photodynamic therapy using verteporfin on choroidal melanoma. Interventional case series. Four patients with choroidal melanoma who showed recurrence or no response after previous brachytherapy and transpupillary thermotherapy were treated with photodynamic therapy. One tumor decreased in size and remained stable for 18 months. One tumor had no growth for 11 months. Two melanomas continued to grow, necessitating enucleation. Of the four eyes that had failed conventional therapies, two would have been salvaged (to date) with photodynamic therapy. However, additional studies are needed to determine if photodynamic therapy can play a role in the management of choroidal melanoma.