PUVA TREATMENT AND CHOROIDAL MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

Choroidal malign melanoma showing rapid progression in a boy 17 years old is presented. The patient was under therapy with methoxy psoralen + Ultraviolet A (PUVA)* for psoriasis vulgaris. He had undergone complete ophthalmologic examinations with three-month intervals from the beginning of this therapy. The tumor was detected in the seventh month, rapidly enlarging within the next twenty days, and eventually leading to enucleation. PUVA is known to be a risk factor for cutaneous malign melanoma. However, there is no reported incidence of choroidal malign melanoma in PUVA treated patients. To our knowledge, this is the only case showing the possible role of PUVA therapy as a predisposing factor in the development of uveal malign melanoma.