Purpose: To describe the incidence, associations and outcomes of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in the United Kingdom.
Methods: Prospective, observational study of every new case of OSSN reported via the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit reporting scheme over a 12-month period. Cases were followed up for 12 months.
Results: The reported incidence of OSSN was 0.53 cases/million/year (conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia: 0.43 cases/million/year; squamous cell carcinoma: 0.08 cases/million/year). Eighty-five per cent of affected patients were male, 97% were Caucasian, and the mean age at presentation was 67.9 (±12.8) years. Information on potential underlying risk factors was frequently unknown. The most commonly affected sites were the limbus and the nasal and temporal bulbar conjunctivae. Most patients presented with a visual acuity of 6/9 or better, without symptoms of pain or visual loss. Excision (with or without additional treatment) was the most common first-line treatment and interferon (with or without additional treatment) was the most common second-line treatment, although management varied widely. Complications of treatment were rare but occasionally severe. Recurrence within 12 months of follow-up occurred in at least 6% of patients.
Conclusion: Although subject to reporting bias, these data suggest that there has not been a significant change in the incidence of OSSN in the United Kingdom, or its demographic profile, since 1996. The broad range of management approaches identified in this study reflect a lack of consensus as to the optimal referral and treatment pathways.