Malignant melanoma of the vulva: a clinicopathologic study of 18 cases

In a study of 18 patients diagnosed with vulvar malignant melanoma between 1975 and 1991, the effect of clinical and pathologic variables on the survival was evaluated. The overall 5-year survival rate was 28.6%. In 14 cases the tumor was retrospectively microstaged with use of Breslow depth and Chung levels. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and Breslow depth did not correlate well with survival. Positivity of groin lymph nodes at initial surgery was associated with an insignificant worsening in survival. An inverse correlation, although statistically not significant, was demonstrated between advancing Chung levels and survival. It is concluded that since the data with respect to microstaging of vulvar malignant melanoma is, as yet, still limited, great caution should be used in electing less aggressive surgery than radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin lymphadenectomy for patients with early-microstage localized disease.