title: Melanosis of the uterine cervix: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanosis of the uterine cervix is a rare, benign, melanocytic lesion of the cervix. A review of the English-language literature revealed 11 other reported cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 52-year-old African American woman who presented for evaluation and treatment of menorrhagia was found to have an irregular, pigmented cervical lesion. The ectocervical biopsy showed melanosis characterized by hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and prominent elongation of rete with abundant basilar pigmentation. Immunohistochemical staining showed scattered, basally situated, S-100 protein-positive melanocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The existence of this entity is further evidence of a spectrum of melanocytic lesions, including blue nevi and primary melanomas, known to occur within the cervix proper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Griffo
authors.forename: Alberto A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Diaz-Arias
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008548:Melanosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010858:Pigmentation; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*