Surgical management of a conjunctival nevus with amniotic membrane transplantation

PURPOSE: Nevi of the conjunctiva are usually benign pigmented tumorous lesions located in the bulbar conjunctiva. In most conjunctival nevus cases, the patient wants the lesion to be removed for cosmetic reasons, but excisional biopsies are best for lesions suspicious for malignancy. This case report illustrates the intraoperative surgical management, histological findings, and the course of healing in a conjunctival nevus patient. CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old man was referred to our eye hospital with a large bulbar conjunctival nevus of the right eye. Upon examination, there was a large pigmented lesion with numerous small cysts present on the superior bulbar conjunctiva. The conjunctival tumor was resected, and an amniotic membrane transplantation was performed for the bulbar conjunctival reconstruction. The histopathological diagnosis suggested a conjunctival nevus. After the resection, a reduction in the inflammation and healing of the conjunctival lesion could be seen. The epithelialization of the bulbar conjunctiva over the amniotic membrane was complete 4 weeks after the resection. At the 6-month follow-up, there was no sign of recurrence or any postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: A surgical excision combined with reconstruction via amniotic membrane transplantation is effective and economical for the treatment of large conjunctival lesions.