Clinical study of [123I] N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-4-iodobenzamide in the diagnosis of primary and metastatic ocular melanoma.

Purpose: To assess the value of scintigraphy with [123I]N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-4-iodobenzamide (BZA), a phase II clinical trial was performed on 48 patients with a suspicion of ocular melanoma.

Methods: 56 examinations were performed to image lesions with a clinical diagnosis of primary ocular melanoma before and/or after treatment, to observe the results in simulating lesions or to image metastases.

Results: Ocular BZA-scintigraphy demonstrated a sensitivity of 86%, and a specificity of 83%. Whole-body scintigraphy was used in the follow-up of treated patients and could be repeated. We imaged orbital recurrence, known and occult metastases, specially in the liver. After 9 conservative treatments ocular BZA-scintigraphy was negative in 9 eyes.

Conclusion: The BZA-scintigraphy in combination with other diagnostic procedures appeared to be a suitable method in the diagnosis of ocular melanoma and a potentially useful imaging modality to screen for ocular malignant melanoma metastases.