Post Surgery Treatment with Topical Eye Drops of the Recurrent Conjunctival Melanoma

Abstract

Conjunctival malignant melanoma (CMM) is rare and can be life threatening. Management of CMM is by surgical excision of the tumor. Non-surgical treatment consists of topical eye drops especially in diffuse and multifocal malignant melanoma. Interferon is reported as an effective agent of CMM treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of Interferon alfa 2a in diffuse recurrent conjunctival melanoma and follow up of primary conjunctival melanoma after treatment with Interferon alfa 2a. In this paper we are going to present a case of CMM in bulbar conjunctiva and 12 years of follow-up. Once the CMM was suspected, surgical removal of the affected area was performed and the subsequent biopsy resulted positive. Ten years later CMM reappeared in the same place and second surgery was performed. Two years later a second recurrence of the melanoma occurred at the same place as before. In order to avoid another surgery a treatment with topical interferon alpha 2 a 1 MIU/mL, 4 drops/day for 3 months was performed instead. Following 15 months of this treatment no sign of conjunctival melanoma came into sight.