Lentigo Maligna of the Eyelid: A Rare Finding in African Americans
Received 26 April 2006; accepted 20 October 2006. published online 02 May 2007.
Objective
To report the case of a 48-year-old African American man with lentigo maligna of the left lower eyelid.
Design
Interventional case report.
Participants
One patient with lentigo maligna of the left lower eyelid.
Methods
We report the clinical presentation, histopathologic and immunohistochemical features, and treatment of an African American man with lentigo maligna of the eyelid. The current literature regarding this uncommon neoplasm in African American patients also is reviewed.
Main Outcome Measures
Histopathologic and immunohistochemical diagnosis and clinical evaluation for recurrence.
Results
An excisional biopsy revealed lentigo maligna. An extensive literature search revealed no definitive reports of lentigo maligna or lentigo maligna melanoma of the eyelid in an African American patient.
Conclusions
Although extremely rare, lentigo maligna may involve ocular adnexal skin in African Americans. Awareness and recognition of this premalignant lesion will aid in early diagnosis and treatment and eventually may improve prognosis.
1Department of Pathology, University Hospital, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey.
2Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey.
Correspondence to Paul D. Langer, MD, Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology, New Jersey Medical School, 90 Bergen Street, Doctors Office Center, Suite 6100, Newark, NJ 07101.
Manuscript no. 2006-475.
Supported by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York; Fund for the New Jersey Blind, Newark, New Jersey; Lions Eye Research Foundation of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey; Eye Institute of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey; and the Gene C. Coppa Memorial Fund, Newark, New Jersey.
ABSTRACT