What is primary melanosis?
Primary Acquired melanosis (PAM) is newly formed brown pigmentation of the conjunctiva. People with white skin are more likely to get this. It usually affects one eye only.
What is acquired melanosis?
Conjunctival primary acquired melanosis (PAM) is a painless flat brown spot on the eye that might superficially look like a freckle. It changes very slowly over time. It can be found in children and adults and typically occurs on only one eye.
What is primary acquired melanosis with atypia?
Primary acquired melanosis (PAM) of the conjunctiva manifests as unilateral patchy areas of pigmentation usually in middle-aged or elderly patients. It can be differentiated histologically by the degree of atypia of melanocytes. Without atypia, PAM is a benign melanocytic proliferation.
Is Primary acquired melanosis cancerous?
Primary acquired melanosis of the conjunctiva (PAM) is a potentially serious melanocytic lesion that can lead to the development of melanoma. In a practice of ocular oncology, PAM accounted for 11% of all conjunctival tumors and 21% of melanocytic lesions.
Is Primary acquired melanosis benign?
PAM usually occurs unilaterally in middle-aged individuals (mostly Caucasians) and accounts for 11% of all conjunctival tumors and for 21% of all conjunctival melanocytic lesions [2]. It can either be regarded as benign (PAM without atypia) or as a precancerous lesion (PAM with atypia) [3,4,5,6,7].
Is Primary acquired melanosis rare?
Typically, primary acquired melanosis is found in middle-aged whites; along with malignant melanomas, it is extremely rare in the younger population. The natural history of primary acquired melanosis begins with the development of superficial epithelial pigmentation, with a typical peppered distribution of pigment.
What is benign melanosis?
Racial melanosis is a benign, bilateral condition found most frequently in darkly pigmented people and characterized by a flat conjunctival pigmentation. These lesions are generally seen at the limbus. Racial melanosis rarely evolves into a conjunctival melanoma.
What causes eye Melanosis?
The disease is caused by an increase of melanocytes in the iris, choroid, and surrounding structures. Overproduction of pigment by these cells can block the trabecular meshwork through which fluid drains from the eye.