title: Visual results following cobalt plaque radiotherapy for posterior uveal melanomas.
abstract: Visual results of cobalt plaque radiotherapy on the eyes of 77 patients with posterior uveal melanoma in one eye and pretreatment visual acuity of 20/25 or better in both eyes were analyzed using actuarial methods. The study demonstrated that eyes receiving a radiation dose in excess of 5,000 rad to the fovea and/or optic disc commonly lose a substantial amount of vision within 2 to 3 years. It also showed that eyes treated by cobalt plaque radiotherapy for a large posterior uveal melanoma are more likely to suffer profound visual loss than those treated for a medium or small melanoma. The predominant cause of severe visual loss in these patients appeared to be foveal radiation retinopathy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002829:Choroid; D003035:Cobalt / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt