Pigmented Inflamed Seborrheic Keratosis of the Bulbar Conjunctiva

Abstract

A 57-year-old Black man presented with the recent onset of a pigmented temporal epibulbar lesion. As pigmentation of conjunctival epithelial lesions is correlated with complexion pigmentation, the lesion was presumed to represent a pigmented ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Excisional biopsy, however, revealed a pigmented conjunctival seborrheic keratosis, a rare occurrence. The lesion lacked cytologic atypia. Intralesional processes of dendritic melanocytes were demonstrated by hematoxylin-eosin and Melan-A stains. Melanophages also contributed to clinical pigmentation. Subepithelial lymphocytic infiltration, elevated Ki67 proliferative rate, prominent mitotic activity, and subtle spongiosis afforded evidence of inflammation rather than malignancy in a lesion devoid of cytologic atypia.