Melanocytic lesions of the eyelid skin.

We described the three histogenetic forms of cutaneous melanoma--lentigo maligna melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma, and nodular melanoma. The first two forms have a flat spreading component or radial growth phase in the epithelium as well as in the invasive or vertical growth phase. Formerly these two lesions may have been confused with one another. Nodular melanoma has only the vertical growth phase. Examples of lentigo maligna melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma were found in eyelid lesions involving both the skin and conjunctiva. The distinctive histopathology of the cutaneous lesion was retained in the conjunctiva.