An Analysis of Clinical and Histopathological Pattern of Malignant Melanoma.
- Author:
Soo Jong CHOI
1
;
Yong Chan BAE
;
Jae Sul MOON
;
Su Bong NAM
;
Chang Gun OH
;
Hee Suk KWAK
;
Chang Won KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea. baeyc2@ hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Malignant melanoma
- MeSH:
Diagnosis;
Female;
Foot;
Humans;
Incidence;
Korea;
Male;
Melanoma*;
Prognosis;
Retrospective Studies;
Skin
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
2007;34(5):557-561
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Malignant melanoma is a fatal tumor arising in the melanocytic systems of the skin. The incidence of malignant melanoma, formerly considered a rare tumor in Korea, is observed to increase. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical and histopathological pattern of malignant melanoma in one institute. METHODS: Thirty patients with ages ranging from 33 to 80 years, diagnosed as malignant melanoma at our skin tumor department, were enrolled in a retrospective study over a 6 year period(2000. 9-2006. 7). The analyzed data included age, sex, location, duration before diagnosis, clinical type, level of invasion, and stage. RESULTS: The cases were identified and analyzed by clinical and histopathologic study. The male to female ratio was 1:1.7. Lower extremities(especially, feet) were favored sites. The majority of cases were acral lentiginous melanoma(40%), followed by nodular melanoma (36.7%), superficial spreading melanoma(20%) in this study. Clark level IV was predominant in histopathologic study. There was merely narrow gap among each stage by AJCC. CONCLUSION: The clinicopathological characteristic of melanoma in our patients is quite different with that in the West. In this retrospective study, primary lesions of the foot were predominant with melanoma, and a high percentage of these were classified pathologically as acral lentiginous melanomas. Patients had a more advanced stage of disease at first presentation and a more deeply invasive primary lesion than Western patients. These suggest that malignant melanoma has a worse prognosis in our patients than in the West. So, further organized prospective studies are needed to approach the prudent and accurate diagnosis and management of melanoma in Korea.
