New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for choroidal melanoma: Functional MRI and infrared-laser-thermotherapy

Choroidal melanoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of the eye. The tumor is often located in close neighborhood to macula, optic disc and other regions essential for visual function. Limitations of present treatment and imaging strategies have stimulated intense search for new techniques. One of the most promising and latest technologies under investigation for treatment of choroidal melanoma is transpupillary thermotherapy. The author describes fundamental modifications of transpupillary thermotherapy and evaluates potential advantages in an animal model. In addition, the author describes how functional magnetic resonance imaging can be adapted to become a diagnostic tool for choroidal melanoma. In several animal studies the method is evaluated and tested with new contrast agents. A particular focus is the ability of functional magnetic resonance imaging to discriminate between untreated melanomas and melanomas after transpupillar thermotherapy.