Cytologic detection of recurrent vaginal melanoma

A case of malignant melanoma of the vagina is described. Ultrastructural examination of tissue from the neoplasm showed a well-developed protein framework similar in appearance to that seen in the slowly progressive lentigo maligna form of malignant melanoma from the general body skin. The spectrum of malignancy known for most other neoplasms, from slowly and locally recurrent to highly aggressive, seems to be found similarly in vaginal malignant melanoma. The patient was treated with local excisions and followed by cytologic examination; she is without known deep or systemic spread after more than three years.