Abstract
Background
Primary vaginal melanoma is a rare, highly malignant, and poor prognostic disease.
Case
The 51-year-old patient with diagnosis of vaginal malignant melanoma was referred to our clinic. Since detection of pervasive brown lesions in the vagina total vaginectomy was performed. At pathological investigation melanoma was not determined. Immunotherapy was administered adjuvantly. Paraaortic lymph node metastasis was seen on the ninth month after total vaginectomy and the metastatic lymph nodes were excised. Cisplatin and tremozolamide chemotherapy was administered for six cycles after surgery. The patient is alive and disease-free at 18th month of the diagnosis of the disease.
Conclusion
The impact of therapy on outcome of primary vaginal malign melanomas is poorly understood. Improved clinical outcomes were associated with surgical removal of gross disease whenever possible. Because of the low rate of lymph node metastasis, elective pelvic lymph node dissection is not mandatory. We presented a case of FIGO stage I primary vaginal malignant melanoma, which metastasized to the paraaortic lymph nodes 9 months after the primary operation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Weinstock MA (1994) Malignant melanomas of the vulva and vagina in the United States: patterns of incidence and population-based estimates of survival. Am J Obstet Gynecol 171:1225–1230
Gupta D, Malpica A, Deavers MT et al (2002) Vaginal melanoma: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 26 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 26:1450–1457. doi:10.1097/00000478-200211000-00007
Miner TJ, Delgado R, Zeisler J et al (2004) Primary vaginal melanoma: a critical analysis of therapy. Ann Surg Oncol 11:34–39. doi:10.1007/BF02524343
Buchanan DJ, Schlaerth J, Kurosaki T (1998) Primary vaginal melanoma: thirteen-year disease-free survival after wide local excision and review of recent literature. Am J Obstet Gynecol 178:1177–1184. doi:10.1016/S0002-9378(98)70320-5
Petru E, Nagele F, Czerwenka K et al (1998) Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina: long-term remission following radiation therapy. Gynecol Oncol 70:23–26. doi:10.1006/gyno.1998.4982
Tjalma WA, Monaghan JM, s Lopes A et al (2001) Primary vaginal melanoma and long-term survivors. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 22:20–22
Piura B, Rabinovich A, Yanai-Inbar I (2002) Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina: case report and review of literature. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 23:195–198
Schmidt M, Honig A, Schwab M, Adam P, Dietl J et al (2008) Primary vaginal melanoma: a case report and literature review. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 29:285–288
Harting MS, Kim KB (2004) Biochemotherapy in patients with advanced vulvovaginal mucosal melanoma. Melanoma Res 14:517–520. doi:10.1097/00008390-200412000-00012
Beg MH, Muchmore JH, Carter RD, Krementz ET (1993) Vaginal melanoma and the role of regional chemotherapy. J Surg Oncol 53:133–135. doi:10.1002/jso.2930530217
Conflict of interest statement
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baloglu, A., Bezircioglu, I., Cetinkaya, B. et al. Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina. Arch Gynecol Obstet 280, 819–822 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1009-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1009-0