title: Ultrasonographic follow-up of primary choroidal malignant melanoma after proton beam irradiation therapy.
abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the ultrasonographic aspects of primary choroidal malignant melanoma (PCMM) after proton beam irradiation therapy and the reliability of its ultrasonographic follow-up in a series of 10 patients. All patients were examined with standardized A and B scan ultrasonography before and after treatment with proton beam irradiation therapy. The follow-up was carried out at 1, 3, 5, 8 months and then every 6 months. The mean follow-up was 20 months (range 6-34 months). The thickness of the tumors was demonstrated to be decreased and the internal reflectivity to be enhanced in 9 out of 10 cases from 8 months after treatment till the end of the follow-up period. Histopathology confirmed in 1 eye enucleated 5 months after treatment that medium-low internal reflectivity coresponded with several areas of high cellularity and cellular mitosis. The results of our study indicate the reliability of standardized A and B scan echography in the follow-up of PCMM treated with proton beam irradiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Section of Ophthalmology, Neurosciences Department of Pisa University, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baldeschi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genovesi-Ebert
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gremigni
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ragone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008938:Mitosis; D011522:Protons; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014741:Video Recording; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D011522:Protons