What is racial melanosis?
Racial melanosis is a benign, bilateral condition found most frequently in darkly pigmented people and characterized by a flat conjunctival pigmentation. These lesions are generally seen at the limbus. Racial melanosis rarely evolves into a conjunctival melanoma.
What causes black pigmentation on oral cavity?
Smoker’s melanosis is a common, benign, reactive condition resulting in increased pigmentation of the oral mucosa from cigarette or pipe smoking. This process is thought to be a result of either the noxious chemicals in cigarette smoke or heat stimulating melanocytes to protectively produce melanin [2, 5, 7, 44].
What is racial pigmentation?
Physiologic pigmentation, also known as racial pigmentation, is the increased production of melanin pigment by melanocytes in dark-skinned individuals. It is caused by increased melanocytic activity rather than an increase in the number of melanocytes.
What causes pigmentation on the tongue?
The differential diagnosis includes anything that can cause pigmentation on the tongue including a melanocytic nevus or melanoma, Addison’s disease, amalgam tattoo, hemochromatosis, pernicious anemia, scleroderma, and so forth (Scarff & Marks, 2003).
What is vulvar Melanosis?
Vulvar melanosis (VM) (also called genital melanosis/lentiginosis and vulvar melanotic macule) is a benign pigmented lesion that usually takes the shape of multiple flat asymmetrical macules, with a tan-brown to blue-black color, irregular borders, and variable size.
Can melanosis grow?
Racial melanosis of the conjunctiva should not grow. A nevus of the conjunctiva does not typically grow (except at puberty). They do not usually extend onto the cornea or develop large feeder blood vessels.
What color is oral melanoma?
Oral melanomas are often silent with minimal symptoms until the advanced stage. The lesions can appear as pigmented dark brown to blue-black lesions or apigmented mucosa-colored or white lesions on physical examination.
Why is there a black spot on the inside of my cheek?
Black spots inside the cheek can have several causes, such as blisters or hyperpigmentation. In rare cases, they may indicate something more serious, such as mouth cancer. Many harmless conditions can cause a black spot to develop inside the cheek.
How is Leukoedema treated?
Treatment and prognosis Leukoedema is a harmless condition, and no treatment is indicated. People may be alarmed by the appearance and benefit from reassurance.
What happens when melanin increases?
The more melanin you have, the darker your skin is. Sometimes, melanin can build up in some areas and cause darkening of the skin, which doctors may call hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is when parts of your skin are darker than others.
Why are there black spots on my tongue?
Another reason why you see black spots on your tongue can be due to a condition called hyperpigmentation. Pigmentation gives color to your skin, eye, and hair. But excessive pigment concentration can cause harmless dark spots. If this is the case for you, then don’t worry.
Is black spots on tongue normal?
Black dots on the tongue could also appear due to a harmless condition called black hairy tongue. According to The Mayo Clinic, this condition happens when a buildup of dead skin cells on the papillae on the surface of the tongue don’t shed normally. The result is a tongue that has a black “furry” appearance.