Abstract
Purpose :
To report the spectrum and frequency of conjunctival tumors in children.
Methods :
A retrospective noninterventional case series of patients younger than 21 years of age was conducted to obtain clinical tumor features and diagnosis.
Results :
Of 807 cases, the tumors were broadly classified as melanocytic in 551 (68%) and nonmelanocytic in 256 (32%). The nonmelanocytic categories included choristomatous (n=65 [8%]), epithelial (n=13 [2%]), vascular (n=55 [7%]), fibrous (n=4 [<1%]), neural (n=1 [<1%]), xanthomatous (n=7 [1%]), myxomatous (n=1 [<1%]), lipomatous (n=3 [<1%]), lacrimal gland origin (n=1 [<1%]), lymphoid (n=46 [6%]), secondary tumors (n=2 [<1%]), inflammatory/infectious (n = 37 [5%]), degenerative (n=2 [<1%]), and non-neoplastic lesions resembling tumor (n=19 [2%]). Of the 551 melanocytic lesions, the specific tumor diagnosis was nevus (n=489 [89%]), melanoma (n=19 [3%]), and primary acquired melanosis (n=27 [5%]). The most frequent symptom at time of presentation was a visible lesion on the eye (n=663 [82%] or localized redness (n=94 [12%]). Mean age at presentation was 11.4 years (median 11.4, range 0-21 years).
Conclusions :
In children, conjunctival tumors were melanocytic in 68% and nonmelanocytic in 32% of cases. Overall, the top 5 diagnoses included conjunctival nevus, choristoma (dermolipoma/dermoid), vascular (lymphangioma/hemangioma), lymphoid, and inflammatory/infectious lesions.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.