Extensive conjunctival melanoma successfully treated with surgical resection and pre- and postoperative topical mitomycin C

Abstract

Purpose:

To report a case of a large conjunctival melanoma (CM) successfully treated with surgical resection and pre- and postoperative topical mitomycin C (MMC).

Methods:

This is a single observational case report.

Results:

A 58-year-old man was referred to us for a large pigmented conjunctival lesion of the right eye. Slit lamp examination revealed an extensive pigmented lesion diffusely involving the temporal bulbar conjunctiva, with multifocal intensely dark areas and an elevated limbal component extending on the corneal surface. The remaining bulbar and forniceal conjunctiva was not involved. The lesion was clinically diagnosed as CM. Clinical examination and head and neck ultrasonography did not show regional lymphadenopathy. The patient was treated with neoadjuvant topical MMC 0.04% four times a day for 3 weeks. At the end of MMC therapy we observed a reduction in pigmentation and thickness of the lesion. Subsequently, the patient underwent surgical excision of the lesion with “no touch technique,” double freeze-thaw cryotherapy of the margins and reconstruction of the tissue defect with amniotic membrane graft. Histopathologic examination of the specimen confirmed the presence of CM, surrounded by primary acquired melanosis with atypia. The excision margins were positive for tumor involvement, so we decided to perform an adjuvant treatment with other four cycles of topical MMC.

Conclusions:

The patient was closely followed-up after the treatment, without any local or distant recurrence at 32 months.