What is it about?
Gynecological melanomas are rare neoplasia affecting the vulva in 4% of cases, the vagina in 2% and the cervix in less than 1%. Melanomas are usually tumors arising from melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, but in some cases they may also develop in mucous surfaces.
Featured Image
Photo by Europeana on Unsplash
Why is it important?
In addition to being particularly rare, vaginal melanomas are extremely aggressive pathologies with a generally poor prognosis. What's more, these vaginal cancers are often detected late, as melanoma usually presents asymptomatically until very advanced stages of the disease. What's more, during a gynecological examination, the speculum can also cover more than 50% of the vaginal walls, masking more pigmented areas.
Perspectives
Melanoma is a malignant cancerous tumor that develops on melanocytes, embryologically derived from the neural crest. Melanocytes are embryologically derived from the neural crest, and because they fail to migrate to the epidermis, they may remain in the vaginal mucosa in an aberrant fashion [1].
Acquire Publications
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Primary Melanoma of the Vaginal Mucosa: A Case Report, Journal of Case Reports and Medical History, December 2024, Acquire Publications LLC,
DOI: 10.54289/jcrmh2400159.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
