Which statement about an ocular nevus is most accurate?

Which statement about an ocular nevus is most accurate?

• A. It is always malignant and requires urgent surgery.
• B. It is benign and monitored annually, with rare progression to melanoma.
• C. It cannot progress to melanoma.
• D. UV protection has no effect.

Answer: (B)

Ocular nevi are typically benign pigmented lesions of the retina or choroid that stay stable over time. The best statement reflects this usual behavior: the lesion is benign and monitored regularly, with only a rare chance of progressing to melanoma. In practice, patients are examined with dilated fundus exams and imaging (photos, OCT, sometimes ultrasound) to document size and characteristics and to watch for any changes that might suggest transformation. If the nevus remains stable, annual or routine follow-up is appropriate; if features appear that raise concern—such as increasing thickness, subretinal fluid, or suspicious pigment changes—the patient should be referred for closer evaluation or treatment. The other options don’t align with how these lesions typically behave. While a nevus can rarely evolve into melanoma, it is not inherently malignant requiring urgent surgery, and saying it cannot progress is inaccurate. The effect of UV protection on the progression of an ocular nevus isn’t reliably established, so stating it has no effect overgeneralizes the evidence.

Ocular nevi are typically benign pigmented lesions of the retina or choroid that stay stable over time. The best statement reflects this usual behavior: the lesion is benign and monitored regularly, with only a rare chance of progressing to melanoma. In practice, patients are examined with dilated fundus exams and imaging (photos, OCT, sometimes ultrasound) to document size and characteristics and to watch for any changes that might suggest transformation. If the nevus remains stable, annual or routine follow-up is appropriate; if features appear that raise concern—such as increasing thickness, subretinal fluid, or suspicious pigment changes—the patient should be referred for closer evaluation or treatment.

The other options don’t align with how these lesions typically behave. While a nevus can rarely evolve into melanoma, it is not inherently malignant requiring urgent surgery, and saying it cannot progress is inaccurate. The effect of UV protection on the progression of an ocular nevus isn’t reliably established, so stating it has no effect overgeneralizes the evidence.