Conjunctival melanotic lesions in Chinese: Comparison with Caucasian series

Conjunctival melanotic lesions in Chinese were studied and compared with th ose of Caucasians. These lesions were diagnosed in Chinese patients over a two-year period. They were excised under the clinical diagnoses of nevi, pr imary acquired melanosis (PAM) and malignant melanoma. For the cases includ ed, the histology slides and clinical information were reviewed. Eighteen c ases of nevi and nine non-nevoid lesions were identified. Among the non-nev oid lesions, there were eight cases of basal cell hyperpigmentation (one co ngenital, five acquired, two unknown) and one malignant melanoma. Benign or atypical melanocytic hyperplasias (MH) were not seen. This pattern is very different from that of Caucasian series. Acquired hyperpigmentation is alm ost only seen in Chinese and seldom in Caucasians. On the other hand, atypi cal MH is only seen in Caucasians, and not in Chinese. We conclude that con junctival hyperpigmentation is associated with ethnicity and does not progr ess to MH, whether benign or atypical. It should be recognised as a distinc t entity of no malignant potential that is part of the PAM clinical spectru m.