OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinicopathological characteristics of primary anorectal malignant melanoma (AMM).

METHODSClinical data of nine patients with AMM were reviewed retrospectively from January 1999 to March 2005.

RESULTSAnorectal malignant melanoma had a female predominance. The average age was 56 years old and average course of disease was 5.8 months. The onset of symptom was hematochezia, then anus prolapses. 94.7% of patients had AMM within 5 cm from anus margin; the average tumor size was (3.3+/- 2.1) cm. The polyp and ulcer were most common types. More than a half (54.5%) of the tumor was movable, 19.1% smooth surfaced, 6.6% soft textured. Synchronous metastasis was found in 14.0% of the patients, the first common metastasis was found in liver, the secondary was superficial inguinal lymph node metastasis. Half of the patients were misdiagnosed,and over 50% of patients were misdiagnosed as benign disease. Mile's operation was performed in most of patients (63%), while anal resection was performed in 30% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONSAnorectal malignant melanoma is often misdiagnosed,surgical procedure is the first choice for patients with AMM.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anus Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; MART-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanocytes ; pathology ; Melanoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neurilemmoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nevus of Ota ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Skin Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Aged ; Back ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Skin Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery

Adolescent ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometriosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma ; pathology ; Melanosis ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; complications ; Peritoneal Diseases ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Teratoma ; complications

BACKGROUNDAnorectal malignant melanoma was a rare disease with extremely poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical characteristic, diagnosis and treatment strategies of anorectal malignant melanoma.

METHODSThe data of 57 patients with anorectal malignant melanoma was collected and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSRectal bleeding and anal mass were found to be common symptoms of anorectal malignant melanoma. The preoperative diagnosis rate of anorectal malignant melanoma was 48.6%. The overall 3-year and 5-year survival rate was 38.0% and 21.3% respectively. The 3-year survival rates of stage I and II patients were 63.0% and 16.7% respectively (P = 0.000), and the 5-year survival rates were 33.3% and 11.1% (P = 0.001), which both had significant statistic differences. The 3-year survival rate of patients undergone abdmoninoperineal resection and patients undergone wide local excision were 36.7% and 53.0% respectively (P = 0.280), while the 5-year survival rate were 24.1% and 23.1% (P = 0.642), which both had no significant statistic differences.

CONCLUSIONSThis study identified no survival advantage to abdominoperineal resection in treatment of anorectal malignant melanoma, and we propose that wide local excision could be considered as the initial treatment of choice.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anus Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma ; diagnosis ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Survival Rate

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Hemangiosarcoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; pathology ; Median Neuropathy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism

Aged ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Lymphoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Viral ; metabolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was conducted to review the overall survival and treatment outcomes of high grade melanoma in the extremity to explore the clinical features of malignant melanoma of the hand and foot, and the therapeutic efficacies and survival rate after amputation. METHODS: The clinical data of 30 patients with malignant melanoma of the hand and foot (confirmed by pathological examination), who were admitted and treated in our hospital between 2001 and 2010, were analyzed retrospectively. We analyzed variables affecting overall and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Thirty patients (18 men and 12 women) treated with an amputation procedure for malignant melanoma in the hand or foot constituted the study cohort. The average age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 58.7 years. Univariate analysis for overall melanoma survival revealed that diagnosis at over 70 years of age, postoperative lymph node metastasis, and location of the tumor were significant prognostic factors. And on the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, old age, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage and postoperative lymph node metastasis showed statistically significant differences in the 5-year survival rate. Also, amputation with aggressive lymph node dissection showed improved long term survival in advanced stage melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: In Korean melanoma patients, for the treatment of high grade melanomas in the extremities after amputation, early diagnosis and postoperative follow-up for evaluation of lymph node metastasis are critical factors for long-term survival. And by performing lymph node dissection during amputation, we may improve the survival rate in advanced stage melanoma patients.
Aged ; *Amputation ; Analysis of Variance ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Foot/*surgery ; Hand/*surgery ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Melanoma/diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/*surgery ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part ; metabolism ; pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Testis ; metabolism ; pathology

Actins ; metabolism ; Angiomyolipoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism