When do choroidal nevi develop?
Although it may be congenital, choroidal nevus is not typically observed in small children. It usually is first detected in adulthood and can be flat or minimally elevated and pigmented or nonpigmented (amelanotic). 1.
What does a choroidal nevus look like?
A choroidal nevus can only be seen by an eye care specialist using specialized tools to see inside your eye. Choroidal nevi typically appear as brown or brown-grey patches of pigment underneath the retina. Some, like the one pictured here, have small pale yellow or white spots on them, called drusen.
How is choroidal melanoma diagnosed?
Current diagnosis of choroidal melanoma is based on both the clinical experience of the specialist and modern diagnostic techniques such as indirect ophthalmoscopy, A- and B-ultrasonography scans, fundus fluorescein angiography, and transillumination.
Can a choroidal nevus be removed?
Treatments. A benign choroidal nevus requires no treatment and there is no way to safely remove them. Since a choroidal nevus can turn into a choroidal melanoma, it is reasonable to have it periodically observed by your eye care professional.
Is it possible to have a choroidal nevi?
Choroidal nevi are fairly uncommon, with an incidence of 1-2%. 1 Many of us have retinal pigmentation variations that are more common but true choroidal nevi are fairly uncommon, especially large nevi. The best recommendation is to have annual eye examinations which include dilating the eyes with special eye drops.
What is a choroidal Nevi in the back of the eye?
Understanding Choroidal Nevi. A choroidal nevus is a flat, benign pigmented area that appears in the back of the eye and is basically an eye freckle. If your doctor refers to a lesion in your eye that needs to be tracked, she is most likely talking about a choroidal nevus.
When do choroidal nevi appear in African Americans?
They are never present at birth, though. Pigmentation appearing to be a choroidal nevus in infancy is usually from choroidal neurofibroma, seen as a part of systemic neurofibromatosis. Nevi of the choroid can be seen before puberty but they are unusual. They are also very rare in African Americans. Figure 1.
What is the difference between a choroidal nevi and a melanoma?
Choroidal nevi are slate-gray and relatively flat (less than 2mm thickness), although there is significant size overlap between small melanomas and larger nevi. Like choroidalal melanomas (i.e. full-blown eye cancers), they also may show overlying drusen or lipofuscin (figure 2). A nevus almost never causes any symptoms.
When does a Doctor refer to a choroidal nevi?
If your doctor refers to a lesion in your eye that needs to be tracked, she is most likely talking about a choroidal nevus. The accumulation of pigmented cells that makes up a nevus occurs in a very small percentage of the population.
Can a choroidal nevus become a lethal condition?
Choroidal Nevus: A Common Eye Condition that can Become Lethal. A choroidal nevus is a common ocular condition that can evolve into a choroidal melanoma, which can be lethal. Choroidal Nevus Description. The choroid is the layer around the back part of the eye between the retina and the sclera.
Where are the choroidal nevi located in the eye?
A choroidal nevus is the name given to a spot, freckle or mole that appears in the back of the eye. Sometimes detected during a dilated eye examination, these pigmented spots are usually flat and slate-greyish in color. Choroidal nevi are found in the choroid, a blood vessel-rich layer lying between the retina and the sclera.
Is it possible to get melanoma from choroidal nevi?
Choroidal nevi are benign eye freckles. Though occuring in 10% of the population, they have a very small chance of becoming melanomas.