title: Impact of enucleation for choroidal melanoma on the performance of vision-dependent activities.
abstract: We report a functional outcome assessment of 71 patients who underwent enucleation for choroidal melanoma. Each was interviewed to evaluate his her self-reported ability to perform four vision-dependent activities--working, driving, reading, and television viewing--before enucleation and when interviewed. The interval between enucleation and the interview varied between 2 and 25 years. Eighty-seven percent (62/71) reported no change in their ability to perform these important vision-dependent tasks. At 15 years after enucleation, 90% (18/20) retained the ability to drive and 96% (25/26) retained the ability to read. These results are reassuring for those with choroidal melanoma who are faced with enucleation, because most of these patients seem likely to continue at a level of visual function comparable with their preenucleation status.
authors.affiliation: Ocular Oncology Service, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21205.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schachat
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004651:Employment; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011932:Reading; D013690:Television; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology