Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy

Orbital hematoma following ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy: Potential dosimetric implications

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Crete, Greece

  2. Department of Medical Physics, Medical School, University of Crete, Greece

  3. Medical School, European University of Cyprus, Cyprus

J Contemp Brachytherapy 2026

Online publish date: 2026/09/10
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We present a case of a 65-year-old female with choroidal melanoma, who developed an orbital hematoma following ruthenium-106 (106Ru) plaque implantation. The patient, with a history of recurrent ipsilateral subconjunctival hemorrhages and arterial hypertension, experienced intense coughing immediately following the completion of surgery and extubation. Subsequently, she developed an orbital hematoma (confirmed by B-scan ultrasonography). Conservative management, including oral steroids and acetazolamide, was adopted. Plaque removal was challenging due to hematoma-induced restricted eyelid opening, but post-operative recovery was uneventful. Although potential suboptimal dosimetry raises concerns for long-term tumor control, short-term local tumor stability was observed at 6 months. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such complication, highlighting the importance of vigilant post-operative monitoring to optimize treatment outcomes for 106Ru brachytherapy.

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