title: Melanocytic nevi of the tarsal conjunctiva: clinicopathologic case series with review of literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe 4 patients with histopathologically confirmed tarsal conjunctival nevi and to review the literature regarding nevi in this location.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinicopathologic series of 4 cases diagnosed at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary between January 1990 and April 2009. PubMed was searched for reported cases of tarsal conjunctival nevi.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients (mean age 44 years, median 50 years, range 5-70 years) with tarsal conjunctival nevi were identified (3.4% of all histopathologically diagnosed conjunctival nevi). These lesions presented in adulthood (3 cases) and were associated with elevation/nodularity (3 cases), gray-brown coloration (3 cases), physician-documented growth (1 case), madarosis (1 case), and intrinsic vessels (1 case). Histopathology revealed combined nevi centered in the posterior lamella of the eyelid, predominantly in peri-Meibomian gland distribution. Review of the literature identified 10 previously reported cases of tarsal nevi with detailed clinicopathologic correlation in 3 of these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tarsal conjunctival nevi are rare. Adult presentation; subjective and objective evidence of growth; and associated inflammation, vascularity, and eyelid margin changes may make clinical distinction of tarsal nevi from melanoma challenging. Biopsy, therefore, is prudent as histopathology alone allows documentation of the benign nature of these lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Hyunjin Jane
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005142:Eyelid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor