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(Opticians) What is a retinal nevus and is it serious?
My friend was told he has a nevus on his retina, which wasn't there 2 years ago. They have arranged for him to see a specialist, but that's 2 months from now. He wasn't given any information, except that it's a freckle on the eye. They said that if it's growing, they might have to do a biopsy.
He has a tendency to freak out when it comes to his health, and is already expecting to hear that it's cancer and he'll go blind.
Any information would be helpful. Perhaps a reliable website with evidence-based information. Thanks.
2 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
I've done a fair amount of research on this, and I think it really depends on the type of nevus. Some are simply freckles or moles that could be present anywhere on the body. The average mole has about a 5% chance of becoming cancerous, but all should be watched on a regular basis. There are certain types of moles that, given their presence in certain races, are more likely to become cancerous. My son (21 months) has something called a slate-grey nevus on his retina, which is apparently rather common and typically not harmful in African and Asian populations, but is less common and more harmful when found in Caucasian populations. If your friend just has a regular mole on his retina, it's probably no more harmful than the average mole, just more difficult to see, of course. The specialist will be able to tell him more about it.
