title: The combined use of surgical debulking and diode laser photocoagulation for limbal melanoma treatment: a retrospective study of 21 dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate effectiveness and safety of debulking and diode laser photocoagulation (DPC) for the treatment of limbal melanoma (LM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective multi-institutional case series. Medical records of animals diagnosed with LM at the Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS) and at the Long Island Veterinary Specialists from 1994 to 2014 were retrieved. Signalment, location, extent of tumors, recurrence rate, and early and late complications were reported. Patient follow-up information was obtained from veterinary ophthalmologists, primary care veterinarians, and where appropriate, owners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one eyes of 21 dogs (13 females and 8 males) were included in this study. The dogs' average age was 6 years (range: 7 months-11 years). The follow-up period ranged from 1-108 months (median 48 months) after the last DPC procedure. Long-term follow-up was obtained by telephone interviews in 6 of 20 cases and by clinical re-evaluations in 14 of 20 cases. The most common early complications were a moderate anterior uveitis and peripheral corneal edema (21/21 eyes). Late complications included corneal fibrosis and/or pigmentation (20/21). In one case, a severe bullous keratopathy associated with extensive corneal fibrosis was observed (1/21). One case was blind due to concurrent Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARD). However, after surgery 2 of 20 eyes lost vision and one of these was enucleated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Debulking, in addition to diode laser photocoagulation, was technically straightforward to perform, minimally invasive, well tolerated, and highly successful in this case series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS), Via Sandro Giovannini 53, Rome, 00137, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Andreani
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS), Via Sandro Giovannini 53, Rome, 00137, Italy.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guandalini
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS), Via Sandro Giovannini 53, Rome, 00137, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunzio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Anna
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health (DiVet), University of Milan, via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS), Via Sandro Giovannini 53, Rome, 00137, Italy.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Teramo, Strada Provinciale 18 snc, Piano d'Accio, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Veterinario Specialistico (CVS), Via Sandro Giovannini 53, Rome, 00137, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Girolamo
authors.affiliation: Long Island Veterinary Specialists, 63 South Service Road, Plainview, 11803, NY, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sapienza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057908:Argon Plasma Coagulation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000662:veterinary*; D065426:Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000662:veterinary*; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: debulking; diode laser; dog; limbal melanoma; photocoagulation