Table of Contents
What is conjunctival pigmentation?
The conjunctiva (the transparent skin over the white of the eye) sometimes develops brown discolouration. This is classified according to the cause: Hypermelanosis: melanocytes (the cells of the body that produce the dark pigment melanin) go into overproduction.
What causes conjunctival melanosis?
Conjunctival melanosis – External and Internal Eye It is caused by the proliferation of atypical melanocytes in the epithelium that do not invade the subepithelial tissue unless there has been malignant transformation.
How common is conjunctival melanoma?
It arises from melanocytes located amongst the basal cells of the conjunctival epithelium. It is an uncommon tumor which comprises about 2% of all eye tumors, 5% of melanomas in the ocular region [1] and 0.25% of all melanomas overall [2].
What does it mean when you have a brown spot in your eye?
Conjunctival nevus is the most common cause of brown spots in the eye (eye freckles). Conjunctival melanoma is a non-cancerous growth composed of multiple nevi or nevi clusters that appear as brown spots in the eye’s conjunctiva and iris. Eye freckles are a common condition that can be caused by a variety of factors.
Why is there a brown spot on my eye?
How do you get conjunctival melanoma?
Theoretically, conjunctival melanoma may originate from primary acquired melanosis, from preexisting nevi, or as de novo lesions (that is, without any histologic or clinical evidence of a preexisting lesion). It may be difficult to determine the precursor lesion in many cases.
What causes brown spot on white part of eye?
The brown lesion you see on the sclera (the white part of the eye) is called Primary Acquired Melanosis of the conjunctiva (PAM). This is a potentially dangerous melanocytic lesion that can lead to melanoma of the eye. Most patients have no symptoms, but may notice the cosmetic changes on the surface of the eye.
Do conjunctival nevus disappear?
Conjunctival nevi often appear as a visible freckle on the white part, with no other symptoms. They tend to remain stable, but they can change color over time, especially during puberty or pregnancy.
Why do brown spots appear on eyes?
Nevi (Brown spots in the eye) are created by pigment cells, otherwise known as melanocytes clumping together, similar to how freckles or moles grow on the skin. These pigment cells also produce melanin that colours the hair, skin, and eyes.
What is conjunctival nevus?
A conjunctival nevus is a common, benign, melanocytic tumour of the conjunctiva. It usually appears in the first 2 decades of life. Conjunctival nevi appear as circumscribed, sesile, slightly elevated lesions; approximately half contain stromal cysts.
What does melanoma look like in the eye?
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.
What does brown spot in your eye mean?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) describes brown spots on the eyes as abnormal growths on the eye, usually on the conjunctiva or iris. The spots can be associated with conditions such as a nevus or ocular melanoma. A nevus (plural: nevi) is a common colored growth that can develop on or in your eye.
How do I get rid of conjunctival nevus?
Treatment of benign conjunctival nevi is surgical and is indicated to prevent transformation into malignant melanoma or for esthetics. Treatment options include surgical excision and argon laser photoablation.
What causes conjunctivitis (pigmentation)?
Pigmented lesions that arise from the conjunctiva include nevus, complexion-associated melanosis (CAM), primary acquired melanosis (PAM), and malignant melanoma.1,2 All of these lesions arise from melanocytes.
What are the features of bulbar conjunctivitis (pink eye)?
Features such as lesion color, thickness, and location are important in prognosis. Lesions on the bulbar conjunctiva are more common and apparent; they are also more easily detected by the patient than are those in the fornix.
What are the different types of conjunctivitis lesions?
Pigmented lesions that arise from the conjunctiva include nevus, complexion-associated melanosis (CAM), primary acquired melanosis (PAM), and malignant melanoma. 1,2 All of these lesions arise from melanocytes.
How do you get rid of pigmentation on the cornea?
The lesion is removed with a tumor-free margin of 4 to 5 mm. Double-freeze, slow-thaw cryotherapy is applied to the conjunctival edges. If the pigmentation extends onto the cornea, we recommend application of absolute alcohol intraoperatively for one minute and then epitheliectomy.