Epidemiological profile of patients with conjunctival tumors in a reference ophthalmological hospital in Eastern Amazonia

Abstract

This research aimed to report the prevalence of conjunctival tumors, and their severity between genders, age groups, and to observe the distribution of their laterality in patients of a public health service in Belém do Pará, in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. Methods: Data were collected at the Bettina de Souza Ferro University Hospital from 253 medical records from the last 12 years (2010 to 2022) regarding conjunctival tumors that were removed and histopathologically examined by the Department of Ophthalmology of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). The incidence of tumors submitted to excision surgery,  the rate of malignancy, and margins were investigated, and matched with gender, age, and laterality. Results: The subjects included 161 men and 92 women, with a mean age of 49.4± 47.2 years. Of these 193 were benign tumors (76.3%), being the most banally found - 99 Pterygium; followed by 28 Squamous Cell Carcinomas; 24 Granulomas, Pyogenic; 20 Intraepithelial Neoplasia and 18 Squamous Papilloma. Among the 31 cases (23.7%) of malignant tumors, the number of male patients was 21 and 10 females. Most malignant tumors were composed of squamous cell carcinoma (28 cases), followed by melanoma (3 cases). The mean age of patients with malignant tumors removed was 65.0 ± 31 years, since in older patients malignant tumors were more prevalent (chi-square, p<0.001). Conclusions: The most common conjunctival tumors were pterygia and squamous cell carcinomas, more present in male patients, younger and older, respectively.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/ciesaudesv1-119