Achromatic vaginal melanoma. A rare clinical report

Abstract

Melanoma is "a queen of malignant tumors" and one of the most rare and aggressive types of cancer. At the same time, it is the most well- known malignant tumor. The word "melanoma" is derived from the Greek melas, melanos means “dark, black.” However, there is also an amelanotic type of melanoma. Melanoma is associated with skin disorders, but can also occur in multiple organs and tissues: the choroid and iris, urogenital tract (vulva, vagina, uterine cervix, penis), mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, meninges, lungs, etc. This is related to the fact that all these organs have melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) from which melanoma develops. Vaginal melanoma or "mucosal melanoma" is a very rare and aggressive neoplasm accounting for less than 10% of malignant tumors of female genital organs and 0.3% of all melanoma cases. Clinical and pathological characteristics of this tumor are understudied, diagnostic tools are scarce, and an optimal method of treatment has not been developed. Therefore, it is important to share experience and clinical reports on this disease. The authors present a rare and complicated case of the disease — achromatic vaginal melanoma. KEYWORDS: vaginal melanoma, achromatic melanoma, neoplasms, women, diagnostics, treatment. FOR CITATION: Shevchenko N.A., Varyasin V.V., Tsidaeva I.G. et al. Achromatic vaginal melanoma. A rare clinical report. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2023;6(2):145–148 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2023-6-2-145-148.