Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the clinical profile of young patients with uveal melanoma treated in 1995-2002 in the Department of Ophthalmology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
Methods: Retrospective case-control series.
Results: Out of 800 patients with uveal melanoma treated between 1995 and 2002, there were 11 patients (1.4%) aged 20 or younger. The mean age of those patients was 17.9 (12-20, median 19) years. There were five men (45%) and six women (55%). In all cases, the tumor was unilateral. In five (45%) cases the tumor affected the right eye and in six (55%) cases the left eye. Eight (72%) patients were treated with local resection. Among these, eight patients, in two (18%) with iris or ciliary body melanoma we used adjuvant Ru-106 episcleral plaque brachytherapy (EPB). In two (18%) cases of choroidal melanoma, we performed I-125 EPB: one case ended with regression of the tumor, while the second did not respond to EPB and we had to enucleate the eye. In one (9%) case we performed enucleation as the primary treatment. The mean follow-up was 61.4 months, ranging 30-125 months. All those patients are still alive and no metastases were detected.
Conclusions: Uveal melanoma is a rare malignancy in children and teenagers. In the present series, it occurred in the iris in more than 50% of cases.