Ophthalmic and adnexal complications of radiotherapy

The role of radiotherapy in ophthalmic practice continues to grow. This growth has seen an expansion of indications for radiotherapy, a refinement of the modalities that can be used and a reduction in the ocular and adnexal complications that result from this form of therapy. The compendium of indications for radiotherapy in ophthalmology continues to grow and now includes many conditions such as the treatment of lid and adnexal disease, ocular surface disorders and both benign and malignant disease of the posterior segment and optic pathways. The radiotherapeutic modalities employed to manage these conditions are numerous and include both radioactive plaques (brachytherapy) and external beam radiation techniques. New techniques such as stereotactic radiosurgery are delivering benefits in the management of conditions such as optic nerve sheath meningioma, where the treatment of this blinding and occasionally life-threatening intracranial neoplasm now results in fewer adverse affects. The purpose of this review is to give a brief overview of the indications and treatment modalities, and a more in-depth discussion of the potential side-effects when radiotherapy is used for ocular and periorbital disease.