Role of Conjunctival Ultraviolet Autofluorescence in Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the adjunctive role of conjunctival autofluorescence in the management of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients with clinically diagnosed OSSN were included. Morphological characteristics, type of OSSN, and autofluorescence photographs of the lesion were captured. Presence and area of conjunctival ultraviolet autofluorescence (CUVAF) were the main outcome measures. Results: Overall, 17 patients with 15 (88%) primary and 2 (12%) recurrent OSSN were included. Common locations were temporal (n = 10), nasal (n = 5), and diffuse variety (n = 2). Morphologically, there were 4 (22.2%) nodular, 4 (22.2%) leucoplakic, 3 (16.7%) gelatinous, and 1 (5.5%) each of papillary, nodulo-ulcerative, and diffuse variety. Mixed morphology was present in 4 eyes (22.2%). Sixteen of 18 eyes (88.9%) with OSSN displayed autofluorescence on CUVAF images. The mean area of CUVAF was 15.82 mm² (10.77–19.59 mm²). Autofluorescence was reported in 8 eyes (44.4%) which had negative reports on impression cytology. Conclusions: Conjunctival autofluorescence was seen in the majority of cases with OSSN, in spite of negative cytology reports. Our study demonstrates that CUVAF may serve as an effective ancillary, non-invasive, and resource-friendly tool for supplementing the clinical diagnosis of OSSN, especially in diffuse and recurrent lesions that are not amenable to surgical intervention.