Pigmentation of the Sclera

[milindoe]

My daughter, who is now 35, started life as a newborn with a tiny gray spot on the white of her eye.  By the time she was 18 months old it had grown and "spread" and she ended up with one brown eye and one very dark brown (almost black) eye.  When I had an ophthalmologist look at it when she was a toddler, he told us it was just "excess pigmentation," not unlike a freckle but that we should keep an eye on it as it could become malignant.  She now has a "lump" in an area of the gray coloring in the eye.  She said that she could just feel it at first but that now she can actually see it. She has an appointment to see an ophthalmologist on the 18th, but I'm scared as hell for my daughter.  What are the chances that this lump is malignant? What can you tell me about this type of growth in the sclera?

[Houman Vosoghi, MD]

Where exactly is the lump.  I'm confused a bit.  If the original "birthmark" was on the white of the eye, why did she get two different colored eyes (implying pigment was on the iris).   Is the lump within the brown pigment on the white of the eye now?  In either case, it's a good idea to see the ophthalmologist as that is the only way to get the right diagnosis.  Let me know what the dr says and I'll be happy to discuss what that may mean.

HV

[Houman Vosoghi, MD]

I wonder if he meant pingueculum or pterygium.  Those come from a genetic predisposition combined with sun exposure.  She should wear sunglasss when outdoors.

HV

[milindoe]

She visited the ophthalmologist yesterday who told her that it is due to allergies.  He used a term that started with a "p" and had a lot of the letter "u" in it.  :-)  I couldn't read his writing (every letter looked like a "u") so I can't research it.  By any chance do you know the term?