{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T09:28:08Z","timestamp":1787218088440,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772064000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Br J Ophthalmol"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To determine the prevalence and clinicopathological features of malignant melanocytic lesions in specimens clinically diagnosed as pterygia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective study analysed all conjunctival specimens submitted with the clinical diagnosis \u2018pterygium\u2019 to the ophthalmic pathology laboratory of the Eye Center, University of Freiburg, Germany, between August 1999 and August 2024. Specimens that unexpectedly revealed a histopathological diagnosis of malignant melanocytic lesions were further reviewed for their clinical and pathological characteristics.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Among 2298 clinically presumed pterygia, seven specimens (0.30%) harboured a malignant melanocytic lesion: four (0.17%) were invasive conjunctival melanomas and three (0.13%) were high-grade conjunctival melanocytic intraepithelial lesions (C-MIL). Three of four melanomas were amelanotic or hypomelanotic (75%) or exhibited atypical temporal localisation (75%).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Malignant melanocytic lesions, though rare, may arise within or mimic pterygia. Their often amelanotic presentation can complicate clinical recognition. Routine histopathological evaluation of all excised pterygia is therefore essential to detect unexpected malignancies as conjunctival melanoma C-MIL.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo-2025-329171","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T18:20:15Z","timestamp":1772130015000},"page":"997-1001","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Malignant melanocytic lesions in clinically suspected pterygium"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"110","author":[{"given":"Rozina Ida","family":"Hajdu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Center, Medical Center \u2013 University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Kammrath Betancor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Center, Medical Center \u2013 University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Othmane","family":"Touirssa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Center, Medical Center \u2013 University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Auw-Haedrich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Reinhard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Center, Medical Center \u2013 University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4401-8344","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simone","family":"Nuessle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Center, Medical Center \u2013 University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2559.2006.02346.x"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo.2010.197491","article-title":"Incidence of ocular surface squamous neoplasia in pterygium specimens: an 8-year survey","volume":"95","author":"Yeung","year":"2011","journal-title":"Br J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1337","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ophtha.2012.12.020","article-title":"Prevalence and clinicopathologic findings of conjunctival epithelial neoplasia in pterygia","volume":"120","author":"Artornsombudh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ophthalmology"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1305","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaophthalmol.2015.3335","article-title":"Clinical Presentation of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia in Kenya","volume":"133","author":"Gichuhi","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sjopt.2016.02.007","article-title":"High frequency of squamous intraepithelial neoplasia in pterygium related to low ultraviolet light exposure","volume":"30","author":"Zoroquiain","year":"2016","journal-title":"Saudi J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.labinv.2023.100281"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1159\/000530514","article-title":"Dendritic Melanocytic Hyperplasia in Pterygia: A Potential Source of Diagnostic Confusion with Primary Acquired Melanosis","volume":"9","author":"Oh","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ocul Oncol Pathol"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajpath.2010.10.037"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/6623794","article-title":"Histopathological Variability and Concomitant Lesions in Pterygium in a Large Case Series","volume":"2021","author":"Bergeron","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2026082002151222000_110.9.997.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3757","DOI":"10.1038\/s41433-023-02594-w","article-title":"Prevalence of co-existent neoplasia in clinically diagnosed pterygia in a UK population","volume":"37","author":"Quhill","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eye (Lond)"}],"container-title":["British Journal of Ophthalmology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bjo-2025-329171","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T09:16:12Z","timestamp":1787217372000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bjo.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bjo-2025-329171"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bjo-2025-329171"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bjo-2025-329171","relation":{},"ISSN":["0007-1161","1468-2079"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0007-1161","type":"print"},{"value":"1468-2079","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]}}}