Related Experiment Videos
Melanoma of the external ear
A Bono1, C Bartoli, A Maurichi
1Division of Surgical Semiotics and Day Surgery, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Tumori
|January 16, 1998
Summary
A conservative 1 cm excision is safe for invasive ear melanoma, regardless of thickness. Tumor thickness, not resection margins, influences the risk of melanoma metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Melanoma of the external ear is rare.
- Management strategies for ear melanoma are debated.
- This study reviews institutional data to clarify treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical management for primary external ear melanoma.
- To determine the relationship between resection margins and local recurrence.
- To identify prognostic factors for metastasis in ear melanoma.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 20 patients with primary ear melanoma.
- Analysis of tumor stage, thickness, and surgical resection margins.
- Follow-up to assess local recurrence and distant metastasis.
Main Results:
- Tumor thickness ranged from 0.39 to 6.62 mm.
- Most patients underwent wedge resection with primary closure; some had partial ear amputation.
- No local recurrences were observed, irrespective of resection margins (0.5 cm to >1 cm).
- Metastasis development was significantly correlated with tumor thickness.
Conclusions:
- A conservative excision with 1 cm margins is a safe surgical approach for invasive ear melanoma.
- Tumor thickness is a critical prognostic factor for metastasis, similar to melanomas at other body sites.