Primary Vaginal Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Primary vaginal malignant melanoma is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor with very few reported cases worldwide. It often occurs in post-menopausal women, with a mean age of 57 years. The most common presenting symptom is vaginal bleeding. Other less common presenting symptoms are vaginal discharge, vaginal mass, and pain. Vaginal melanomas are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and despite the aggressive treatment approach, the prognosis is poor. We present to you a case of a 56-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with intermittent vaginal bleeding and passage of dark clots. She was found to have symptomatic anemia requiring blood transfusions. Further workup revealed a mass in the upper vagina on imaging studies, and the patient eventually underwent a biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the vagina on pathological examination.

An extremely rare case of vaginal melanoma treated with hysterocolpectomy

“…They are commonly seen in advanced age and the commonest presentation is post-menopausal bleeding. Post-menopausal vaginal discharge, pain and lump at the vagina have also been presenting symptoms, according to the literature [4].…”

“…Although no clear aetiology has been found for vaginal melanoma, cells of origin are thought to be melanocytes in the vaginal epithelium. Due to the rich vascular and lymphatic supply in the vaginal mucosa, vaginal melanomas show an aggressive behavior with a poor prognosis [4]. Case series have found that most melanomas (46%) present at FIGO Stage I where it is confined to the vagina.…”

A Rare Case of Primary Vaginal Malignant Melanoma-Case Report

“…even though the first mention of it was in 1887 [1]. Few than 250-300 cases have been documented in the literature, or just 0.46 cases per million women annually [2]. Malignant melanoma makes up 3-5% of all vulvar malignancies and 10% of all female genital tract melanomas and for 0.3-0.8% of all malignant melanomas [2].…”

“…Few than 250-300 cases have been documented in the literature, or just 0.46 cases per million women annually [2]. Malignant melanoma makes up 3-5% of all vulvar malignancies and 10% of all female genital tract melanomas and for 0.3-0.8% of all malignant melanomas [2]. Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina typically affects postmenopausal women aged 60 to 80 (average age is 68)] [3,4].…”

Organ-Sparing Central Pelvic Compartment Resection for the Treatment of Vulvo-Vaginal Melanomas

“…Vaginal melanoma is the rarest gynecological malignancy, accounting for <3% of new cancer diagnosis but also has the poorest survival [ 1 ]. The 5-year survival in vaginal melanoma varies between 13% and 32.3% in the literature [ 2–4 ].…”