Primary vaginal melanoma: a case report and literature review

Background: Malignant melanoma of the vagina is a rare malignancy associated with high risk of recurrence, distant metastasis and short survival time. Due to the rarity of the disease, no prospective studies or validated treatment recommendations exist. Case: We describe the case of a 54-year-old patient with a locally advanced melanoma located on the anterior vaginal wall. At the time of diagnosis there was no evidence of nodal or distant metastasis. Conclusion: In view of retrospective data in the literature, we treated the patient with colpectomy in terms of a wide local excision only. A more radical approach, adjuvant radio- or chemotherapy did not seem to be justifiable since there are no data demonstrating prolonged survival.