To report the outcome of the Ruthenium-106 eye plaque brachytherapy in patients with choroidal malignant melanoma over 15 years in tertiary referral hospital In Iran.

Purpose: To report the outcome of the Ruthenium-106 eye plaque brachytherapy in patients with choroidal malignant melanoma over 15 years in tertiary referral hospital In Iran.

Two hundred and ninety-four patients were included. Of them 130 (44.2%) were male. Mean age of patients was 52.14 ± 14.67 years (range 15 to 86). The location of the tumors was choroid in 215 (73.1 %), ciliochoroid in 38 (12.9 %), iridociliary in 31 (10.5 %), iridiociliochoroid in 6 (2 %) and ciliary body in 4 (1.4 %) of the cases. Mean follow up duration was 29.50 ± 19.66 months (range 6 to 80). Mean radiation time was 128.19 ± 73.81 hours (range 17 to 320), mean apex dose rate was 106.45 ± 85.48 (range 13 to 604), mean total apex dose was 8683.00 ± 2167.86 (range 2767 to 13502), mean scleral dose rate was 615.84 ± 177.71 (range 105 to 1171) and mean total scleral dose was 75757.44 ± 44237.08 range (range 11187 to 155150). The most frequent used plaque type was CCB in 40 (13 %) of cases. The tumor thickness 5.62 ± 2.30 (range 1 to 11.5) in baseline reduced to 3.36 ± 1.94 (range 0 to 9.60) in last follow up. (P<0.001). The mean preoperative visual acuity was 0.67 LogMAR which increased to 1.01 LogmMAR at last visit. (P<0.001). Tumor recurrence has occurred in 29 (9%) of Patients. Second plaque brachytherapy was performed in 10 (3%) and enucleation surgery was done in 18 (6%) of the cases.

Ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy is an effective and safe method of treatment for choroidal malignant melanoma.