Primary Vaginal Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Primary vaginal malignant melanoma is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor with very few reported cases worldwide. It often occurs in post-menopausal women, with a mean age of 57 years. The most common presenting symptom is vaginal bleeding. Other less common presenting symptoms are vaginal discharge, vaginal mass, and pain. Vaginal melanomas are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and despite the aggressive treatment approach, the prognosis is poor. We present to you a case of a 56-year-old post-menopausal woman who presented with intermittent vaginal bleeding and passage of dark clots. She was found to have symptomatic anemia requiring blood transfusions. Further workup revealed a mass in the upper vagina on imaging studies, and the patient eventually underwent a biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the vagina on pathological examination.