Malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva: report of a case

Malignant melanomas of the conjunctiva are extremely rare in children. The authors report an 11-year-old boy who had a nodule at the limbus in a pigmented area since early childhood. The lesion was excised and the diagnosis of atypical compound nevus was made. Five months later, the patient returned with multiple nodules in the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva. One of the lesions was excised, and the diagnosis was malignant melanoma. He was lost for follow-up for 6 months; then he presented a large pigmented, vascularized mass protruding through the palpebral aperture. Results of systemic workup for metastatic disease were negative, and an exenteration was performed. A few months later, cervical lymphadenopathy developed followed by extensive metastatic disease.