Noncontiguous local recurrence of posterior uveal melanoma after cobalt 60 episcleral plaque therapy.

Four patients with posterior uveal melanomas treated by cobalt 60 episcleral plaque therapy developed the intraocular recurrence of choroidal melanoma at a site distant from and noncontiguous to their original lesions. Three of the four patients died of metastatic melanoma. The proportion of eyes with posterior uveal melanoma treated with cobalt 60 brachytherapy who subsequently develop this type of local recurrence appears to be low (0.68%).