Malignant melanoma of the urethra: a rare histologic subdivision of vulvar cancer with a poor prognosis

Case Rep Obstet Gynecol. 2012:2012:385175. doi: 10.1155/2012/385175. Epub 2012 Dec 20.

Abstract

Malignant melanoma of the urethra is a rare tumour that is difficult to diagnose and treat, resulting in a poor prognosis. In this paper, we present the case of a 65-year-old woman who was referred to a gynaecologist because of a urethral mass that mimicked a caruncle. The tumour was removed by local excision, and a pathological analysis revealed a malignant melanoma. Distal urethrectomy was performed after three months with no evidence of residual tumour. There was no evidence of disease at a six-year followup. In this paper, we compare the epidemiology, treatment, staging, and prognosis of vulvar cancer in general to malignant melanoma of the vulva in particular.