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. 1998 May;82(5):476–479. doi: 10.1136/bjo.82.5.476

Topical mitomycin C chemotherapy for conjunctival melanoma and PAM with atypia

P Finger 1, G Czechonska 1, S Liarikos 1
PMCID: PMC1722577  PMID: 9713051

Abstract

AIM—To evaluate topical mitomycin C (MMC) chemotherapy in the treatment of conjunctival melanoma and primary acquired melanosis with atypia.
METHODS—In a phase I clinical trial, 10 patients with conjunctival melanoma and/or primary acquired melanosis with atypia were treated with topical MMC 0.04% four times daily. Four patients were given MMC for 28 days as a primary treatment. Six patients were treated with MMC for 7 days after excision and cryotherapy in an effort to improve local control. In this series, 10 patients have been followed for an average of 29 months.
RESULTS—All patients were noted to develop transient keratoconjunctivitis during treatment. One patient also developed a transient corneal epithelial defect. Decreased conjunctival pigmentation was noted in the four patients where topical chemotherapy was used as a primary treatment. Nodular tumours were resistant to topical MMC chemotherapy. Of the six patients treated within 2 weeks after primary excision and cryotherapy, there has been no tumour recurrence or symblepharon formation. Nine of the 10 study patients have maintained within one line of their pretreatment visual acuity. No retinal or optic nerve toxicity was noted.
CONCLUSION—Since no complications which might preclude further investigation of topical MMC chemotherapy occurred, it was concluded that topical MMC chemotherapy was tolerated as a treatment for conjunctival melanoma and primary acquired melanosis with atypia.

 Keywords: conjunctival melanoma; primary acquired melanosis; mitomycin C

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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(A) Pretreatment photograph of patient 1 revealing perilimbal conjunctival melanoma before treatment. Note the pre-existing conjunctival scar tissue resulting from biopsy surgery. (B) 3 weeks after topical MMC therapy, a clinically subepithelial rest of melanotic tissue persists. (From Finger et al17 with permission)

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Left, comparison of pretreatment photograph (A) with the most recent (C) photograph of patient 3. Right, comparison of pretreatment photograph (B) with the most recent (D) photograph of patient 8. 

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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