Secondary glaucoma after cobalt therapy of a choroidal melanoma

The clinical material comprises 157 patients of both sexes treated by means of 60Co plate and xenon photocoagulation for choroidal melanoma. The period of observation amounted 5 to 18 years. Secondary glaucoma occurred in 71 eyes (45.22 p.c.). Forty four eyes were enucleated (61.9 p.c.). In 5 cases a filtering operation was performed; the IOP was controlled in 3. The remaining eyes were treated conservatively. No dependence was observed between the appearing of glaucoma and the sex, age of the patients, location of the tumor, a large dose of radiation and photocoagulation. Instead it was demonstrated a dependence between the appearance of glaucoma and the necessity of enucleation. Also among the deceased patients the group with secondary glaucoma was more numerous then among those who survived.