Long-term follow-up of conjunctival melanoma treated with topical interferon alpha-2b eye drops as adjunctive therapy following surgical resection

The purpose of this study was to report the clinical outcomes of patients with conjunctival melanoma treated with interferon (IFN) α-2b eye drops following local tumor resection.

Five eyes of five patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent the local resection of tumors, and topical IFNα-2b eye drops were subsequently administered 4 times/day until the complete disappearance of the pigmented lesions determined by slit-lamp examination. Ophthalmological findings, histopathological findings, and imaging modalities were retrospectively analyzed.

The age of the patients ranged from 65 to 84 years (mean: 75.4 years). Locations of the tumor were the bulbar conjunctiva in three eyes, multiple palpebral conjunctivas in one eye, and palpebral conjunctiva and caruncle in one eye. All patients received topical IFNα-2b eye drop treatment for 6–10 months. Follow-up periods after resection ranged from 18 to 78 months. Histologically, all excised conjunctival tumors were diagnosed with malignant melanoma, where the surgical margins were completely negative in one patient. No patients had suffered from severe adverse effects related to IFNα-2b. Four out of five patients consequently achieved complete remission. Since one eye in one case showed resistance to the local chemotherapy containing IFNα-2b eye drops and the subconjunctival injection of IFN-β, orbital exenteration was eventually required 12 months after local resection.

Topical IFNα-2b eye drops may be safe and one of the useful adjunctive treatments following surgical resection for patients with conjunctival melanoma.