A CASE OF FATAL CONJUNCTIVAI. MELANOMA FOLLOWING MULTIPLE TREATMENTS OF PAM (PRIMARY ACQUIRED MELANOSIS)

Abstract

This study reports a rare Japanese case of malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva initially diagnosed as primary acquired melanosis (PAM) with atypia. A 59-year-old Japanese woman presented with black-brown lesions in the conjunctiva. The patient was initially treated with resection of the lesion and cryopexy of the adjacent areas. The pathological diagnosis was PAM with atypia. Despite treatment, the patient died of systemic metastasis after multiple local recurrences. Racial pigmentation that masks recurrences, possible existence of PAM sine pigmento, and some unknown factors, may be causes of the reported poor prognosis of Japanese patlents.