Round Cell Vaginal Malignant Melanoma : A rare entity

Authors

Neena Chauhan, Department of Pathology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Dushyant S. Gaur, Department of Pathology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Ved P. Pathak, Department of Pathology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Malignant melanoma is predominantly a skin disease but in rare instances it may occur at other sites. A vaginal melanoma is a rare clinical entity and the round cell type is an uncommon variant. Although the present case was clinically diagnosed as a urethral caruncle, on histopathological examination and immunostaining it was diagnosed as a round cell pigmented malignant melanoma. The patient refused radical surgery and was given a full course radiotherapy treatment but died a year later. Malignant vaginal melanoma carries a very poor prognosis even when lesion is localised at the time of presentation. The five-year survival rate ranges from 10–20% with the prognosis being influenced by tumour size. A tumour size ≥3cm has a poor prognosis. Age, mitotic count, stage, and location of the lesion do not influence survival rates.

Publication Date

11-20-2012

First Page

508

Last Page

511

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Chauhan, Neena; Gaur, Dushyant S.; and Pathak, Ved P. (2012) "Round Cell Vaginal Malignant Melanoma : A rare entity," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal: Vol. 12: 508-511.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1414