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. 2010 Jul-Aug;30(4):306-12.
doi: 10.4103/0256-4947.65265.

Conjunctival nevi: Clinical and histopathologic features in a Saudi population

Hind M Alkatan  1 , Khalid M Al-Arfaj, Azza Maktabi
Affiliations

Conjunctival nevi: Clinical and histopathologic features in a Saudi population

Hind M Alkatan et al. Ann Saudi Med. 2010 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background and objective: Conjunctival nevi are benign lesions with wide variation in clinical and histopathological features. The differentiation between benign nevi and other pigmented lesions is essential. The aim of our study was to identify the distribution of the histopathologic types of conjunctival nevi among the Saudi population and to provide the basic knowledge needed for proper clinical diagnosis.

Patients and methods: This retrospective study of surgically excised benign conjunctival nevi was conducted at a tertiary care eye hospital from 1995 to 2006. Clinical data was collected from medical records and the histopathologic features reviewed by a single pathologist.

Results: A total 105 conjunctival nevi were included from 104 consecutive patients (mean age, 26 years, 54 males and 50 females). The anatomical location was the bulbar conjunctiva in 83%, juxtalimbal in 12%, caruncle in 4% and palpebral in 1%. The lesion was removed for cosmetic reasons in 38% while 8% of the lesions were removed to rule out malignancy. The compound nevus was the commonest (72%) in all age groups, followed by subepithelial nevus (24%) and finally junctional nevus (3%).

Conclusions: The distribution of the histopathologic types of this tumor in our population matches the pattern in other areas of the world with the compound nevus being the commonest lesion. However, fewer lesions among our patients are removed to rule out malignancy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histopathologic appearance of a junctional nevus in a 19-year-old girl. (Periodic acid schiff ×200).
Figure 2a
Figure 2a
The histopathologic appearance of a junctional nevus in an 8 year old boy. (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 2b
Figure 2b
The demonstration of the nevus cells by Melan-A stain ×200.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histopathologic appearance of a blue nevus with proliferating stromal melanocytes. (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of the hispathologic types of 105 nevi according to age groups.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Example of subepithelial nevus at the caruncle in a 14-year-old-boy (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 6
Figure 6
An example of a subepithelial cystic nevus (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 7a
Figure 7a
The clinical appearance of a large juxtalimbal nevus of the right eye in a 7-year-old (case 2, Table 1).
Figure 7b
Figure 7b
The histopathologic appearance of the compound nevus in the same patient (hematoxylin and eosin ×100).
Figure 8a
Figure 8a
The clinical appearance of a raised bulbar nevus with feeder vessels in the right eye (case 5, Table 1).
Figure 8b
Figure 8b
The histopathologic appearance of this compound nevus (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 9a
Figure 9a
A clinically suspicious juxtalimbal nevus in a 21-year old patient (case 6, Table 1).
Figure 9b
Figure 9b
Large compound nevus of this patient with cystic areas. (Periodic Acid Schiff ×200).
Figure 10a
Figure 10a
A darkly pigmented lesion at the caruncle of a 74-year-old patient removed to rule out a malignant lesion (case 8, Table 1).
Figure 10b
Figure 10b
The histopathologic appearance of the caruncular subepithelial nevus in this patient (hematoxylin and eosin ×200).
Figure 11a
Figure 11a
A compound inflamed juvenile conjunctival nevus (IJCN) in association with vernal keratoconjucntivitis (Periodic Acid Schiff ×200).
Figure 11b
Figure 11b
The clinical appearance of this compound nevus in an 18-year-old male.
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