Blue Nevus of the Ocular Surface

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize the clinical features and evaluate the course of congenital melanocytic tumor (blue nevus) on the ocular surface.

Methods: -Design: Retrospective non comparative case series. -Participants: 30 patients with blue nevi of the ocular surface from two tertiary care centers between 2000 and 2013 who underwent surgical excision. -Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures were characteristics and clinical course.

Results: Of the 30 patients, 29 (97%) were white, 1 (3%) was black. The nevus was described as brown in 25, black in 8, and tan/yellow in 12. The anatomical location of the nevus was the bulbar conjunctiva (9 eyes, 30%), caruncle (2 eyes, 6.7 %), fornix (1 eyes, 3.3%), eyelid (16 eyes, 53%), and cornea (2 eyes, 6.7%). The nevus was found in the temporal quadrant in 4 eyes (13%), nasal quadrant in 14 eyes (47%), superior quadrant in 4 eyes (13%), and inferior quadrant in 6 eyes (20 %) . The nevus was reported to have been stable in 28 patients and enlarging in 2 patients prior to excision. All nevi were successfully excised without complications. After a mean follow up of 28 months (1-58 ), no nevi recurrence was noted.

Conclusions: Blue nevus is an uncommon, congenital melanocytic tumor of the ocular surface with a benign clinical course.

Keywords: 462 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • 479 cornea: clinical science • 474 conjunctiva