No benefit could be found using additional TA to reduce the vein diameter before the treatment.

Purpose Uveal melanoma (UM) is an orphan cancer of high unmet medical need. Current patterns of care and surveillance remain unclear as they are situated in an interdisciplinary setting. Methods A questionnaire addressing the patterns of care and surveillance in the management of patients with uveal melanoma was distributed to 70 skin cancer centers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Frequency distributions of responses for each item of the questionnaire were calculated. Results 44 of 70 (62.9%) skin cancer centers completed the questionnaire. Thirty-nine hospitals were located in Germany (88.6%), three in Switzerland (6.8%) and two in Austria (4.5%). The majority (68.2%) represented university hospitals. Most patients with metastatic disease were treated in certified skin cancer centers (70.7%, 29/41). Besides, the majority of patients with UM were referred to the respective skin cancer center by ophthalmologists (87.2%, 34/39). Treatment and organization of follow-up of patients varied across the different centers. 35.1% (14/37) of the centers stated to not perform any screening measures. Conclusion Treatment patterns of patients with uveal melanoma in Germany, Austria and Switzerland remain extremely heterogeneous. A guideline for the treatment and surveillance is urgently needed.

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SummaryVascular malformations present a therapeutic challenge due to their rarity and heterogeneous clinical presentation. In the present case report the authors discuss a 46-yearold female patient who had undergone a number of operations for an extensive and very painful venous malformation. Eventually she was successfully treated by several doses of a foam sclerosing agent. This achieved remarkably rapid, long-term pain reduction and improved her quality of life. The case demonstrates that foam sclerotherapy is a satisfactory treatment option with few adverse effects for anatomically unclear malformations that can no longer be treated surgically.

SummaryThe case of a 39-year old female patient, presenting a painful, well-vascularized tumour located in the subcutaneous tissue of the right calf, is reported. Due to the painfulness and tumour size progression an excision with primary wound closure (by buried sutures) was performed. The tumour showed histological features characteristic for an angioleiomyoma. Particularly middle-aged women are affected by an angioleiomyoma which represents a benign, mesenchymal tumour mostly located on the lower extremities. Differential diagnosis in painful tumours of the skin should include this entity. Because of the painfulness of the tumour primary excision is mostly recommended. In the majority of cases the diagnosis is made histologically.