Conjunctival melanoma: Unlocking mysteries of disease

Source: Opthalmology Times, December 2019

This article was reviewed by Uday Devgan, MD

Not much is known about conjunctival melanoma aside from the fact that it is rare and develops in about 0.5 persons/million among Caucasian patients. The etiology is unknown, but it occurs in individuals with lighter complexions. The importance of exposure to sunlight also remains unknown.

What is known is that it recurs in from 5% to 26% of cases, spreads with regional lymph node metastasis in from 15% to 40% of cases and systemic metastasis in from 9% to 25%, and it kills, with 10-year mortality rates ranging from 9% to 30%, according to Sara E. Lally, MD, who spoke at the 2019 meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.