title: Malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva  successful surgical excision of the primary tumor and reconstruction by conjunctival auto transplantation from the contralateral eye.
abstract: Malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva is a rare tumor with incidence of 0.5 cases/year per million population. It may also occur as de novo, as on the basis of preexisting melanocytic lesions (nevus or freckle) or most often from the so-called primary acquired melanosis of the conjuctiva (PAM). It metastasizes mainly lymphogenic and hematogenous. The size of the primary tumor lesion, histopathological findings and absolute tumor thickness are essential for unfavorable prognosis. Conjunctival auto transplantation from the other eye is modern and innovative, but also a seldomly feasible method of reconstruction after conjunctival excision of tumors in this area. We present a rare case of a 75-year-old patient with epithelioid cell malignant melanoma of the bulbar conjunctiva of the right eye, which de novo occurred, successfully treated by excision of the primary tumor and subsequent reconstruction by conjunctival auto transplant from the other eye. A very good therapeutic and aesthetic result was achieved.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic, University Hospital St George- Plovdiv, Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sivkova
authors.affiliation: Onkoderma- Policlinic for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, General Skobelev 26 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chokoeva
authors.affiliation: Onkoderma- Policlinic for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, General Skobelev 26 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dobrev
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Plovdiv, University hospital St. George, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Staribratova
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Plovdiv, University hospital St. George, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Belovezhdov
authors.affiliation: Policlinic for Dermatology and Venereology, Saint Kliment Ohridski University, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tchernev
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Dresden- Friedrichstadt Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wollina
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000637:transplantation*; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous