THE ROLE OF MODERN METHODS IN EARLY METASTASES DIAGNOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH UVEAL MELANOMA

Avakyan K.V. 1, Saakyan S.V. 1, Amiryan A.G. 1, Aslanidi I.P. 2, Mukhortova O.V. 2

1- Moscow Helmholtz Research Institute of Eye Diseases.

2 - A.N. Bakoulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. Moscow, Russia

Purpose. To evaluate the role of modern research methods in early metastases diagnosis in patients with uveal melanoma.

Materials and methods. Seventy patients (22 men, 48 women) aged from 26 to 78 years (mean 52 ± 13) with UM were examined: 40 of them before treatment and 30 patients in 3 to 178 months (mean time of treatment 25 ± 9,5) after primary treatment. Physical examination, liver enzyme assays, chest x-ray, abdomen ultrasound and “whole-body” positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (18P-FDG) were performed in all patients for metastatic screening.

Results.Hematological liver enzymes assays were increased in 1 patient with disseminated lesion. The chest x-ray revealed focal fibrotic changes in the lungs (after suffering tuberculosis) in one patient. The abdomen ultrasound revealed multiple lesions (metastases) in the liver in one patient, in another patient secondary nature of the lesion was suspected (a cyst was later diagnosed), in 11 patients lesions in the liver were qualified as cysts or hemangiomas. PET/CT showed that 6 patients were found to have distant metastases in the liver (2 – solitary, 4 – multiple). One of 6 patients was found to have PET-positive lesion in the sigmoid colon, which was verified as second cancer - adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon (synchronous cancer). In one case, in addition to foci in the liver multiple metastases in other organs were found (lungs, bones, peritoneum, retroperitoneum, bowel loops). 14 (22%) patients had foci in the lungs (less 5mm), but their nature has not been determined because of the small size. These patients received CT scans during follow-up. Also PET/CT showed accompanying (inflammatory, benign, degenerative) processes.

Conclusions. PET/CT has the advantage in early metastatic detection of uveal melanoma in comparison to conventional methods, however, it isn’t the method of choice in the diagnosis of primary uveal melanoma.

Keywords: uveal melanoma, metastasis, diagnostics, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, chest X-ray, PET/CT.

 

Corresponding author: Avakyan K.V., Этот e-mail адрес защищен от спам-ботов, для его просмотра у Вас должен быть включен Javascript

 

For citation: For citation: Avakyan K.V., Saakyan S.V., Amiryan A.G., Aslanidi I.P., Mukhortova O.V. The role of modern methods in early metastases diagnosis in patients with uveal melanoma. REJR. 2016; 6 (3):128-132. 2016; REJR. 2016; 6 (4):8-18. DOI:10.21569/2222-7415-2016-6-4-8-18.

Received:06.11.2016 Accepted: : 21.11.2016