Mucosal melanoma is a rare condition characterized by a melanoma of the mucous membranes. This subtype is associated a worse prognosis than those arising from the skin.[1]: 696 [2] Mucosal melanomas occur in the head and neck (55%), anorectal (24%) and vulvovaginal region (18%), and in the urinary tract (3%).[3] Based on the histopathologic and clinical features, melanomas of the vulva and vagina are often considered a separate disease entity.[4] The prognosis of vulvovaginal melanomas is poor, especially for vaginal melanomas and has not improved over the last decades.[5] While chemotherapy has not shown capacity to improve survival in clinical and observational studies, immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., pembrolizumab) have been tested in mucosal melanomas and have shown promising response rates.[6][7]

Mucosal Melanoma
Photograph at initial examination showing an oversized pigmented soft mass (melanoma) arising from the palate.
Pronunciation
  • \ myü-ˈkō-zəl, \ ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə
SpecialtyOncology, pathology, dermatology, gynecology, gastroenterology
Symptomsmalaise, fatigue, bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, nose bleeds, skin discoloration, itching, discharge, ulcers, anosmia, hyposmia, skin irritation, canker sores, bloody stools, bloody urine, gum disease, rosacea
Complicationsdistant and/or microscopic metastasis
Typesmucosal melanoma of the head and neck, vulvar melanoma, vaginal melanoma, anorectal melanoma
Causessmoking, carcinogens, genetics, chemicals, CID, HIV
Diagnostic methodbiopsy, colonoscopy
Treatmentradiation, chemotherapy, surgery

See also

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References

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  1. ^ James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7216-2921-6.
  2. ^ Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
  3. ^ Chang AE, Karnell LH, Menck HR (October 1998). "The National Cancer Data Base report on cutaneous and noncutaneous melanoma: a summary of 84,836 cases from the past decade. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society". Cancer. 83 (8): 1664–78. doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19981015)83:8<1664::aid-cncr23>3.0.co;2-g. hdl:2027.42/34348. PMID 9781962. S2CID 21472766.
  4. ^ Wohlmuth C, Wohlmuth-Wieser I (December 2019). "Vulvar malignancies: an interdisciplinary perspective". Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 17 (12): 1257–1276. doi:10.1111/ddg.13995. PMC 6972795. PMID 31829526.
  5. ^ Wohlmuth C, Wohlmuth-Wieser I, May T, Vicus D, Gien LT, Laframboise S (November 2019). "Malignant Melanoma of the Vulva and Vagina: A US Population-Based Study of 1863 Patients". American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 21 (2): 285–295. doi:10.1007/s40257-019-00487-x. PMC 7125071. PMID 31784896.
  6. ^ Hamid, Omid; Robert, Caroline; Ribas, Antoni; Hodi, F. Stephen; Walpole, Euan; Daud, Adil; Arance, Ana S.; Brown, Ewan; Hoeller, Christoph; Mortier, Laurent; Schachter, Jacob (September 2018). "Antitumour activity of pembrolizumab in advanced mucosal melanoma: a post-hoc analysis of KEYNOTE-001, 002, 006". British Journal of Cancer. 119 (6): 670–674. doi:10.1038/s41416-018-0207-6. ISSN 1532-1827. PMC 6173747. PMID 30202085.
  7. ^ Wohlmuth, Christoph; Wohlmuth-Wieser, Iris; Laframboise, Stéphane (2020-11-24). "Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Response With Checkpoint Inhibitors in Malignant Melanoma of the Vulva and Vagina". Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease. 25 (2): 146–151. doi:10.1097/LGT.0000000000000583. ISSN 1526-0976. PMC 7984764. PMID 33252450.
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