A nevus in the eye is a common, benign, pigmented growth, similar to a
mole on your skin. A nevus can occur either in the front of your eye, around the iris or
colored part of the eye, or beneath the retina in the back of the eye. A nevus beneath
the retina is called a choroidal nevus. Sometimes it is called a "freckle in the eye."
While most nevi are harmless, they still need to be watched regularly because, like a
skin mole, an eye nevus could possibly develop into an ocular melanoma cancer of the
eye.
A nevus is caused by cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment that colors
skin, hair and eyes. Most of the time, melanocytes are distributed evenly, but
occasionally they form clusters, which leads to the development of nevi.
Most nevi are present at birth or develop within the first two decades of life, but they can
continue to develop into mid-life. Although you may have had this nevus for a long time, it may not have
been appreciated previously.
Even though most nevi don't have any symptoms, they still need to be watched
regularly because, like a skin mole, an eye nevus could possibly become cancerous.
That's why regular checkups are so important.
Once detected, most nevi are photographed. This allows your doctor to compare the
appearance of the nevus the next time you visit to see if there have been any changes.
Some nevi cannot be photographed due to their location and your doctor will make a
note of its size and location based on their examination. Because a melanoma can
sometimes resemble a nevus, your doctor may ask you to return to have the nevus re-
evaluated.
Occasionally, your physician may request you have a B-scan of your eye. This is an
ultrasound that uses sound waves to measure the thickness of your choroidal nevus.
This is another way to follow your nevus over time.
