[Preoperative irradiation before enucleation in malignant melanoma of the uvea. Review of the literature and initial personal experiences].

The results of animal experiments and clinical studies concerning preoperative radiation of malignant extraocular tumors suggest that pre-enucleation radiation may be helpful in reducing the incidence of tumor-related death after enucleation of an eye containing a melanoma. Based on a retrospective study of 80 patients with malignant melanomas of the choroid or ciliary body, in which pre-enucleation irradiation with 8.5 Gray or 20 Gray was performed, no beneficial effect could be found in terms of better survival. The need for a prospective, randomized and possibly multicentered study is emphasized.