CONJUNCTIVAL ACTINIC KERATOSIS - A CASE-REPORT

We report a slowly progressive and whitish limbal conjunctival tumor t hat occured in a 73-year-old man. An excisional biopsy specimen of thi s conjunctival tumor was submitted for histopathologic evaluation. The diagnosis of conjunctival actinic keratosis was based on following ce llular abnormalities, epithelial hyperplasia acanthosis, keratosis or parakeratosis with discrete papillomatosis and some atypia. The baseme nt membrane was intact. An area of elastotic degeneration in the subta ntia propria, was considered as one of the characteristic features of this conjunctival precancerous condition related to excessive sun expo sure. By hybridization in situ, the detection of human papilloma lints (HPV) was negative, Keratosis actinic needs to be distinguished from other precancerous conditions showing similar clinical features such a s dysplasia and carcinoma in situ appearing to affect the prognosis.