How serious is a freckle in your eye?

A freckle in your eye might seem odd, but they're actually common and usually harmless. If you have one, your eye doctor may want to watch it over time. It's rare, but they can turn into a type of cancer called melanoma.

What percentage of eye freckles are cancerous?

It is a flat pigmented lesion that is benign, with roughly one in 10 people developing this type of nevus. Although it is generally noncancerous, a choroidal nevus still has a small potential to become cancerous. That is why it needs to be followed by your eye doctor.

How do I know if my eye freckles are cancerous?

If the choroidal nevus has orange pigmentation, if the nevus is leaking fluid, or has a thickness of 2 mm or more it may be (or become) a malignant choroidal melanoma. Depending on its appearance, patients with a choroidal nevus should have their eyes examined (at least) every 6 months.

Can an eye freckle be removed?

Can a nevus be removed? Because nevi don't affect your vision or cause health problems, they usually don't need to be removed. In fact, removal could do more damage than good. However, if a nevus becomes cancerous, your ophthalmologist may recommend it be removed with radiation therapy or surgery.

Why do I have a freckle in my eye?

An eye freckle is very similar to a mole on your skin or a freckle. And similar to both moles and freckles, a nevus can be brown, yellow or gray. Cells called melanocytes produce melanin, which gives color to your skin and to your eyes, and when these cells lump together, an eye freckle is the result.

What causes eye freckles? Are they dangerous?

When should I worry about eye freckle?

A freckle in your eye might seem odd, but they're actually common and usually harmless. If you have one, your eye doctor may want to watch it over time. It's rare, but they can turn into a type of cancer called melanoma. So whether they're old or new, it's always a good idea to get them checked out.

Should I be worried about freckles?

In most cases, freckles are harmless. They form as a result of overproduction of melanin, which is responsible for skin and hair color (pigmentation). Overall, freckles come from ultraviolet (UV) radiation stimulation. There are two categories of freckles: ephelides and solar lentigines.

Is eye melanoma curable?

These rare cancers can be treated with either surgical removal of the tumor, if it is small enough, or radiation therapy. In more advanced cases or if there is serious eye damage, enucleation (removal of the eyeball) may be needed.

How common is melanoma in the eye?

Ocular melanoma is the most common primary cancer affecting the eye. However, it is a rare disorder and is estimated to be diagnosed in about 2,500 people in the United States each year. The incidence is unknown, but one estimate places it at about 5-6 people per every 1,000,000 people in the general population.

How do you get rid of eye freckles?

If melanoma is suspected, your eye doctor will recommend an excisional biopsy, in other words removing the pigmented lesion surgically. The resulting hole in the conjunctiva is closed with dissolvable sutures, surgical “glue”, or laser cautery, depending on its size and location.

Is ocular melanoma a death sentence?

Choroidal melanoma is a disease with a high mortality rate, usually irrespective of the chosen treatment modality. About 30-50% of patients with choroidal melanoma will die within 10 years from diagnosis and treatment. Death is usually secondary to distant metastases, and the risk is greatest in larger tumors.

Is melanoma of the eye life threatening?

Called "OM" for short, ocular melanoma is a malignant tumor that can grow and spread to other parts of the body - this process, known as metastasis, is often fatal and occurs in about half of all cases.

Is eye biopsy painful?

After you have the local or general anaesthetic, the specialist puts a thin needle attached to a syringe into your eye. They draw out some cells from the tumour. This usually takes a few minutes. If you have a local anaesthetic you may be aware of something going on, but you shouldn't have discomfort or pain.

Can freckles turn into melanoma?

Freckles 101

Freckles are actually evidence of a genetic mutation in your “freckle gene.” No, you're not an alien, but when this gene (called the melanocortin one receptor gene) is mutated, you are at greater risk for predisposed skin cancer — both melanoma and non-melanoma types.

What does brown spot in eye mean?

Conjunctival nevus is the most common cause of brown spots in the eye (eye freckles). Conjunctival melanoma is a non-cancerous growth composed of multiple nevi or nevi clusters that appear as brown spots in the eye's conjunctiva and iris. Eye freckles are a common condition that can be caused by a variety of factors.

Can a nevus appear suddenly?

Moles, or nevi, typically form during childhood and adolescence, but new moles can appear in adulthood. Although most moles are noncancerous, or benign, the development of a new mole or sudden changes to existing moles in an adult can be a sign of melanoma.

What are the 5 warning signs of malignant melanoma?

How long does it take for ocular melanoma to metastasize?

Approximately 50% of ocular melanoma patients will develop metastatic disease within 15 years of the original diagnosis, and currently there is no cure for metastatic OM.

What are the symptoms of melanoma in the eye?

How do you get rid of melanoma in the eye?

Surgery to remove the melanoma and a band of healthy tissue that surrounds it may be an option for treating small melanomas. Surgery to remove the entire eye (enucleation). Enucleation is often used for large eye tumors. It may also be used if the tumor is causing eye pain.

What is the best treatment for ocular melanoma?

Surgery is the most common treatment for intraocular melanoma. The following types of surgery may be used: Resection: Surgery to remove the tumor and a small amount of healthy tissue around it. Enucleation: Surgery to remove the eye and part of the optic nerve.

Can a freckle be cancerous?

True freckles rarely occur on covered skin and pose essentially no health risk at all. They are all absolutely harmless. They are not cancerous and generally do not become cancerous.

What does Stage 1 melanoma look like?

Stage IA Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is less than 1.0 millimeter thick (less than the size of a sharpened pencil point) with or without ulceration (broken skin) when viewed under the microscope. Stage IB Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is more than 1.0 millimeter and less than 2.0 millimeters thick without ulceration.

What does early stage melanoma look like?

What to look for: Usually, the most obvious warning signs of early stage melanoma are changes to your moles or spots: in size, shape, colour or in how they look or how they feel. Melanoma can also appear as a new mole (more commonly in people aged 50 years or more)².