title: Vaginal primary malignant melanoma: report of four cases and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the clinical characteristics, management and prognosis of four patients with vaginal primary malignant melanoma (VPMM) who were diagnosed and treated in our departments together with a review of the current literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1997 and September 2009, four cases with histologically confirmed VPMM were evaluated retrospectively. All patients underwent wide local excision.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient was in Stage I (25%), two patients in Stage II (50%) and one patient in Stage IV (25%). Among them, one patient received additional radiotherapy and three patients received additional immunotherapy with interferon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of VPMM is very poor, despite the treatment modality, because most cases are diagnosed at late stage.
authors: 2nd Department of Gynaecology, St. Savvas Anticancer-Oncologic Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Terzakis
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Androutsopoulos
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Adonakis
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Zygouris
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Grigoriadis
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Decavalas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*