Mayo Clinic experience with conjunctival melanomas
T. J. Liesegang and R. J. Campbell
One hundred twenty-six surgically excised pigmented lesions of the
conjunctiva were evaluated and correlated with clinical data and follow-up
information. Of these, 42 were classified as conjunctival melanomas, with
18 arising apparently de novo, 15 from acquired melanosis, and nine from
nevi. The six tumor deaths occurred only in patients with melanomas arising
de novo or from acquired melanosis, Patients with tumor deaths usually
demonstrated local recurrences long before metastases occurred. Moreover,
several patients had local recurrences treated repeatedly for years without
metastatic spread. Recent clinical findings relating to skin melanomas were
applied and evaluated.
