Interferon Alfa-2b for Pigmented Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia: A Report of 8 Lesions

PURPOSE

To study the efficacy of interferon alfa-2b (IFN-a2b) on pigmented ocular surface squamous neoplasia (p-OSSN) and assess the resolution of the pigment to the treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective case series of 8 tumors in 7 patients.

RESULTS

The mean age at diagnosis of p-OSSN was 65 years (median, 61 years; range, 51-84 years), and all patients were men. The mean duration of symptoms was 2 months (median, 1 month; range, 1-4 months). One patient had 2 distinct lesions in the same eye. Tumor epicenter was located at the limbus (n = 5) or bulbar conjunctiva (n = 2). Complexion-associated melanosis was noted in all eyes. The mean basal dimension of the tumor was 8 mm (median, 7 mm; range, 5-12 mm). The mean % of tumor pigmentation was 47% (median, 30%; range, 10%-100%). The treatment details included topical IFN-a2b (n = 1) or a combination of topical and subconjunctival injection of IFN-a2b (n = 7). All patients with p-OSSN showed excellent response to IFN-a2b with complete tumor regression and resolution of tumor-associated pigment with a mean number of 2 subconjunctival IFN-a2b injections (median, 2; range, 0-3) and topical IFN-a2b for an average of 2 months (median, 2 months; range, 1-3 months). There was no change in the complexion-associated melanosis with IFN-a2b.

CONCLUSIONS

IFN-a2b is very effective in the management of p-OSSN. There is a complete resolution of the pigment along with the tumor.

Conjunctival malignant melanoma: A rare variant and review of important diagnostic and therapeutic considerations

Malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva is a relatively infrequent neoplasm that can be associated with significant morbidity and cause diagnostic difficulty to both the ophthalmologist and pathologist. We herein describe the first reported case in North American and European databases of a rare variant-signet ring cell melanoma - arising in the background of primary acquired melanosis (PAM) and use this case as a review of important diagnostic and therapeutic considerations when faced with this condition.

Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of pigmented Basal cell carcinomas of the eyelids

PURPOSE

To describe the clinical and microscopic features of pigmented basal cell carcinomas (pBCC) of the eyelid.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational case series collected at one institution.

METHODS

An analysis of clinical records, photographs, and histopathologic characteristics of 257 BCCs with a review of the literature. The frequencies of clinically pigmented, and of microscopically pigmented but clinically nonpigmented, BCCs were determined. Cytochemical stains (Fontana-Masson, Prussian blue) and immunohistochemical probes (S-100, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor [MiTF], HMB-45, MART-1, CK20, synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD1a, Ki-67) were then employed and the findings correlated with the degree of clinical pigmentation.

RESULTS

Histopathologically, 13 of 257 cases (5.06%) were found to have pigment; of these 13, 6 (all white patients) had clinically apparent pigmentation (2.33%), either focal or diffuse. Eight of 13 lesions developed on the lower eyelids. All stained positively for melanin but negatively for iron. MiTF highlighted numerous melanocytic nuclei in the tumor lobules, while MART-1 and HMB-45 revealed the dendritic shapes of the entrapped melanocytes. There was a subtotal blockage of melanin transfer to the surrounding basaloid cells. Intralobular S-100-positive cells included CD1a-positive Langerhans cells, while CK20 did not identify any Merkel cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Only 1 of 6 lesions was uniformly clinically pigmented, whereas the other 5 were only focally brown-black. The clinical pigmentation was imparted by varying densities and distributions of melanocytes with arborizing dendrites, which were present in all BCCs. Melanophages within the stroma and basaloid cell melanization also contributed to pigmentation. No behavioral or biologic differences in pBCC were documented compared with clinically nonpigmented lesions.

Pigmented squamous cell carcinoma in situ of the conjunctiva in 5 cases

PURPOSE

To describe 5 patients with pigmented conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma in situ.

DESIGN

Retrospective noncomparative case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Five patients.

METHODS

Clinical and histopathologic features were reviewed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Relationship of clinical and histopathologic features to carcinoma pigmentation.

RESULTS

All 5 patients were male. Two were Hispanic, 2 were Caucasian, and 1 was Asian Indian. Localized racial melanosis was evident in 3 cases and no case showed diffuse racial melanosis. The tumor showed leukoplakia (n = 1) and was at the temporal limbus (n = 4) or nasal limbus (n = 1). The mean tumor basal dimension was 9.2 mm and mean thickness was 3.2 mm. Brown pigment was present deep within the tumor in all 5 cases, involving 50% to 90% of the mass. In each case, pigmented squamous cell carcinoma was suspected; melanoma was a second possibility. Histopathology revealed in situ squamous cell carcinoma (conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia) with pigmented dendritic melanocytes in all 5 cases. Pigment was also found within neoplastic cells (n = 2). After surgical resection, there was no recurrence over mean follow-up of 23 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Squamous cell carcinoma in situ can manifest as a pigmented tumor, resembling melanoma, in both Caucasians and non-Caucasians, primarily due to intratumoral pigmented dendritic melanocytes.