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When should I worry about eye freckle?
A freckle in your eye might seem odd, but they’re actually common and usually harmless. If you have one, your eye doctor may want to watch it over time. It’s rare, but they can turn into a type of cancer called melanoma. So whether they’re old or new, it’s always a good idea to get them checked out.
Why do eye freckles grow?
Cells called melanocytes produce melanin, which gives color to your skin and to your eyes, and when these cells lump together, an eye freckle is the result.
How do I know if my eye freckles are cancerous?
When they do occur, signs and symptoms of eye melanoma can include:
- A sensation of flashes or specks of dust in your vision (floaters)
- A growing dark spot on the iris.
- A change in the shape of the dark circle (pupil) at the center of your eye.
- Poor or blurry vision in one eye.
- Loss of peripheral vision.
Can freckles turn into melanoma?
Freckles 101 Freckles are actually evidence of a genetic mutation in your “freckle gene.” No, you’re not an alien, but when this gene (called the melanocortin one receptor gene) is mutated, you are at greater risk for predisposed skin cancer — both melanoma and non-melanoma types.
How can you tell the difference between a melanoma and a choroidal nevus?
Choroidal nevi are slate-gray and relatively flat (less than 2mm thickness), although there is significant size overlap between small melanomas and larger nevi. Like choroidalal melanomas (i.e. full-blown eye cancers), they also may show overlying drusen or lipofuscin (figure 2).
Can an eye freckle be removed?
Can a nevus be removed? Because nevi don’t affect your vision or cause health problems, they usually don’t need to be removed. In fact, removal could do more damage than good. However, if a nevus becomes cancerous, your ophthalmologist may recommend it be removed with radiation therapy or surgery.
How fast does ocular melanoma grow?
Approximately 50% of patients with OM will develop metastases by 10 to 15 years after diagnosis (a small percentage of people will develop metastases even later i.e. 20-25 years after their initial diagnosis).
Can an eye nevus turn into melanoma?
The most common “choroidal nevus” or eye nevus are unusual and can only be seen by an eye care specialist. Like a nevus on the skin, a choroidal nevus can grow into a malignant melanoma. A choroidal nevus rarely requires treatment.
Is ocular melanoma fast growing?
Similar to melanoma of the skin, OM is a little understood and silent killer. In the majority of cases, ocular melanoma develops slowly from the pigmented cells of the choroid (choroidal melanoma) but it also can develop from the pigmented cells of the iris and ciliary body.
What does it mean to have a freckle in the eye?
A freckle in the back of the eye refers to a choroidal nevus, a common, benign, flat, pigmented growth under the retina. Such nevi almost always have no effect on vision. However, if growth of a nevus is documented by periodic observation or photographs of the retina, it may be undergoing transformation into a malignant melanoma of the eye.
Is it dangerous to have a freckle in my eye?
To make a long story short, most freckles (or a nevus as we call it in the eye world) are totally benign and harmless. Their appearance can sometimes strike fear in individuals, but rest assure they mainly affect cosmetics only. The cells in our body called melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin which gives color to our eyes and skin.
What is a freckle in the back of my eye?
– Decreased or blurred vision – Flashing lights – Seeing floaters – Eye pain
When should I see Doctor about eye freckles?
– dark skin – the capacity to tan – a history of freckles – sun exposure – hormone treatment, such as oral birth control