BACKGROUND: Endoresection of choroidal melanoma may offer the best hope of conserving vision in some patients but is controversial because of concerns regarding iatrogenic tumour dissemination.
METHODS: Retrospective, non-randomised study of consecutive patients who underwent endoresection for choroidal melanoma at the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre between 1996 and 2010.
RESULTS: The study included 71 patients with a mean age of 58.7 years. The tumour extended within 2 disc diameters of the optic disc in 46 (65%) eyes, involving the disc in 24 (34%) eyes. The mean largest basal tumour diameter and tumour thickness were 9.5 mm and 4.4 mm, respectively. The median follow-up was 4.1 years. The visual acuity at the latest follow-up was better than 6/30 in 31% eyes. The main causes of visual loss were foveal excision, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and proliferative vitreo-retinopathy (PVR). Local recurrence developed in two patients (3%), who were treated by enucleation and proton beam radiotherapy, respectively. RD occurred in 16 cases (22%). Three (4%) eyes were enucleated, two because of PVR and one because of local tumour recurrence. Five patients died of metastatic disease.
CONCLUSIONS: Endoresection achieved high rates of local tumour control. This operation would seem to be a useful alternative to radiotherapy as a means of conserving vision in eyes with juxtapapillary melanoma.