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LETTER TO EDITOR
Year : 2007  |  Volume : 55  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 83-84

Pinguecula masquerading as conjunctival melanoma


Sri Ramchandra Medical College and Research Institute (DU), Porur, Chennai - 600 116, Tamil Nadu, India

Correspondence Address:
Kalpana Suresh
Sri Ramchandra Medical College and Research Institute (DU), Porur, Chennai - 600 116, Tamil Nadu
India
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.29517

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How to cite this article:
Suresh K, Doctor P. Pinguecula masquerading as conjunctival melanoma. Indian J Ophthalmol 2007;55:83-4

How to cite this URL:
Suresh K, Doctor P. Pinguecula masquerading as conjunctival melanoma. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 2007 [cited 2024 Mar 28];55:83-4. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?2007/55/1/83/29517

Dear Editor,

Pinguecula is a common degenerative condition of conjunctiva. In atypical cases an erroneous diagnosis of carcinoma may be made. We report an atypical presentation of histopathologically proven pinguecula.

A 50-year-old carpenter presented with a dark lesion associated with watering, redness, irritation and itching in right eye since three weeks. He reported no vision loss, pain, trauma or topical use of medication or cosmetics. There was no contributory medical history. On examination, his best corrected visual acuity was 20/40 in both eyes. Ocular movements were normal. The right eye had a vascularized pigmented lesion with surface ulceration, surrounding conjunctival chemosis and vascularization of the surrounding conjunctiva in the temporal bulbar conjunctiva, 3 mm from limbus [Figure - 1]. It measured 8 mm horizontally by 5 mm vertically, with maximal elevation of 2 mm and irregular borders. It was freely mobile over the underlying sclera. There was dellen in the peripheral cornea. Two prominent forniceal vessels extended to the mass. Both eyes had nuclear sclerosis, normal intraocular pressure and normal fundus. Regional lymph nodes were not palpable.

In view of the suspicious nature of the lesion, we performed an excision biopsy with 4mm tumor-free margins using a 'no touch' method,[1] avoiding direct manipulation of the tumor to preclude tumor cell seeding. The conjunctiva was then re-apposed. Histopathology showed surface epithelium with areas of atrophy and hyperplasia. Sub-epithelial tissue demonstrated hyalinization and calcareous degeneration [Figure - 2]. Areas of granulation tissue with perivascular mononuclear inflammatory cell reaction were seen. Histopathological picture was suggestive of pinguecula.

Primary malignant melanoma may arise from nevi, primary acquired melanosis or de novo . These present as a pigmented vascularized lesions with rapid growth. Histologically, the overlying epithelium is invaded with atypical cells and inflammatory infiltrate.[2] Conjunctival nevus and congenital ocular melanocytosis have congenital onset, though conjunctival nevus may present in young adult. Histologically, nevus cells are seen in the sub-epithelial tissue in interlacing fasciculi.[2],[3] Primary acquired melanosis has an onset in middle age and has brown diffuse structure.[2]

Other simulating lesions include nevus of sclera, pseudo pigmentation in blue sclera, ectatic sclera and scleromalacia perforans, endogenous pigmentation (blood, bile), metabolic disorders (Ochronosis, Gaucher's disease), exogenous pigmentations (epinephrine, argyrosis, mascara, dyes, iron and foreign bodies), pigment spots of the sclera[2] and aspergilloma.[4]

Pinguecula is a degenerative process of sub-epithelial connective tissues of bulbar conjunctiva in the inter-palpebral region, over which the epithelium may be ulcerated, atrophic or thickened.[5] Histologically, the most characteristic feature is sub-epithelial senile elastosis.[5] The control of elastogenesis is seriously defective so that the elastic fibers are abnormal in biochemical composition. P53 mutations in limbal epithelial cells probably caused by ultraviolet radiation, may contribute.[6] Secondary hyalinization and calcareous degeneration may be observed.[3] Epithelium becomes atrophic or acanthotic and dyskeratotic which can lead to erroneous diagnosis of carcinoma.[5],[7]

The conjunctival lesion so closely resembled a conjunctival melanoma that an excision biopsy was performed with the 'no touch' technique.[1] A diagnosis of secondary change in a pinguecula may be made with caution, but must be confirmed by histopathology to facilitate definitive diagnosis and subsequent management.

 
  References Top

1.
Shields JA, Shields CL. Surgical management of conjunctival tumors. In : Atlas of eyelid and conjunctival tumors. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins: Philadelphia; 1999. p. 331-4.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Ocular Melanocytic Tumors. In : Yanoff M, Fine BS. Ocular Pathology. 5th ed. Mosby Inc: 2002. p. 647-56.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Shields CL, Fasiudden AF, Mashayekhi A, Shields JA. Conjunctival nevi: Clinical features and natural course in 410 consecutive patients. Arch Ophthalmol 2004;122:167-75.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Bajaj MS, Pushker N, Kulkarni A, Kashyap S, Purohit A. Prolapsed intraocular aspergilloma masquerading as malignant melanoma. Indian J Ophthalmol 2003;51:255-7.  Back to cited text no. 4
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5.
Eye and ocular adnexa. In : Rosai J: Ackerman's Surgical Pathology. 8th ed. Mo Mosby: St. Louis; 1996. p. 2467.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Conjunctiva. In : Yanoff M, Fine BS. Ocular Pathology. 5th ed. Mosby Inc: 2002. p. 226.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.
Spencer WH, Zimmerman LE. Conjunctiva. In : Spencer WH, editor. Ophthalmic Pathology: An Atlas and Textbook. 3rd ed. WB Saunders Co: Philadelphia, Pa; 1986. p. 174-6.  Back to cited text no. 7
    


    Figures

  [Figure - 1], [Figure - 2]


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