What could be the cause of a brown spot in my eye, and how can I get rid of it? (photo)

Doctor's Answers 3

Hi, although you've sent a pretty good picture, it's a bit difficult to say for sure what it is based on the picture alone.

One possibility, especially if it has been there for years with no change, is of a 'mole' or naevus.

Assuming that it is a naevus, such lesions are harmless and represent only a cosmetic concern. They could be left alone or removed surgically in a minor procedure.

If you are concerned, and especially if you notice any growth of the lesion, you should arrange an appointment for a more thorough clinic consult to determine the nature of the spot.

Making any diagnosis from a photo is often challenging. Photos sometimes do not fully represent all the features of the lesion in question.

An important question to consider is when the lesson was first noticed? Very commonly, long-standing pigmentation on the conjunctiva as seen on the photo can simply be a nevus, or “mole”. Spots that require closer medical attention are those that are of recent onset and progress rapidly (few weeks and months) as this may indicate the presence of a tumour instead.

Quite frequently, there is no need to remove the nevus, as it is often harmless. But one can still choose to have it excised for cosmetic purposes.

Do see your ophthalmologist if the above lesion gives you cause for concerns.

Dr David Chan

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Dr Claudine Pang

Ophthalmologist

That brown spot in the white part of your eye is known as 'primary conjunctival melanosis' which is a collection of melanocytes, similar to what forms a mole on your skin.

Most of the time it is harmless, except for its disturbing appearance. We like to follow up on these 'moles' to see if they are growing in size, because very rarely, they may turn cancerous (only if they are growing). If there is any suspicion that it could be cancerous or if it is very troubling cosmetically, we can remove it by a simple excision. Otherwise, you may leave it alone and just keep a watch on whether its growing.

Hope that helps!

Dr Claudine Pang

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Dr Michelle Chia

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Are there non-surgical methods to remove a brown spot on the eye sclera?

The brown spot is most likely a nevus (mole), and as far as I know there is no non-surgical method to remove such a nevus on the conjunctiva of the eye. For your information, the surgery is relatively minor anyway, and is conducted as day surgery under local anaesthesia. It involves removing the spot and patching the area with a free graft of adjacent conjunctiva to minimise scarring. Most of the time, surgery is only cosmetic in nature and so is not absolutely necessary.

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