A literature overview of primary cervical malignant melanoma: an exceedingly rare cancer

Primary malignant melanoma (MM) of the uterine cervix is an extremely rare neoplasm, with about 78 cases described in the literature. Since traces of melanocytes in normal cervical epithelium were found in 3.5% of cases primary origin of melanoma at this site cannot be ruled out. It occurs mainly in the sixth decade of life, and it is five time less common than primary vaginal or vulvar MM. Clinical history usually includes abnormal genital bleeding; and physical examination frequently reveals a pigmented, exophytic cervical mass. Diagnosis is confirmed by immuno-histochemical methods and by exclusion of any other primary site of melanoma. Treatment of this condition is not yet standardized, and the overall prognosis is very poor. Diagnostic approaches and therapeutic procedures on primary MM of the uterine cervix are discussed following a review of the literature encompassing more than one century.