[Clinical findings and prognosis of 11 cases of conjunctival malignant melanoma].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical findings and prognosis of conjunctival malignant melanomas.


METHODS
We investigated the clinical findings and prognosis of 11 cases of conjunctival malignant melanomas diagnosed and treated at Tokyo Medical University Hospital.


RESULTS
The mean age at presentation was 62.3 years, male/female ratio was 6/5. Cases arose from primary acquired melanosis (PAM) in 45% of the patients, from conjunctival nevus in 9%, from both conjunctival nevus and PAM in 27% and de novo in 18%. In all cases local resection was performed with either adjuvant cryotherapy, or similar methods for diagnosis and treatment. Postoperative local recurrence was detected in 45% of the patients. According to the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, local recurrence at 2 years is 38%. Total surgical excision of the tumor was performed for recurrent lesions. Three cases were treated with systemic chemotherapy following surgical excision for metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
A combination of surgical excision with adjuvant therapy has been used for the treatment of conjunctival melanoma. A more effective therapeutic strategy is required because of the high rate of recurrence and metastasis seen in this study.
Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Keisuke
K
Kimura
Yoshihiko
Y
Usui
Hiroshi
H
Goto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome