Cataract Extraction After Brachytherapy for Malignant Melanoma of the Choroid in a Young Female Patient: A Case Report

TL;DR

A young woman developed a cataract after radiation therapy for an eye tumor, requiring surgery to improve vision and monitor the tumor.

Contribution

This case highlights the rare occurrence of cataract extraction following brachytherapy in a young patient with choroidal melanoma.

Findings

Cataract surgery improved the patient's visual acuity and tumor visualization.

Prompt cataract removal after brachytherapy can enhance quality of life and diagnostic monitoring.

Radiation-induced cataracts can occur in young patients following intraocular tumor treatment.

Abstract

The use of brachytherapy, a form of radiation therapy, plays a crucial role in the management of intraocular melanomas of the choroid. Ionization radiation treatment has the unfortunate side effect of developing cataracts prematurely. We present an uncommonly seen case of a 36-year-old woman who presented with blurred vision in her left eye following successful plaque radiotherapy four years prior for malignant melanoma in the same eye. The patient had developed a cataract, which hindered her visual acuity and visualization of the tumor. Prompt cataract surgery after brachytherapy for radiation-induced cataracts is necessary for the improvement of the quality of life and ensuring effective uveal and retinal examination.

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