Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Cytology description | Cytology images | Positive stains | Negative stains | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Perunovic B. Melanoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cervixmelanoma.html. Accessed February 6th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Rare; < 100 cases reported; more common in vulva and vagina
- Usually postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding (Cytojournal 2010;7:25)
- Poor prognosis with historical 5 year survival of 40% with stage I disease (Gynecol Oncol 1989;32:375, Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi 2005;40:183)
Case reports
- 33 year old Japanese woman with clear cell variant (Gynecol Oncol 2001;80:409)
- 39 year old woman with vaginal bleeding (Indian J Cancer 2005;42:201)
- 63 year old woman with S100 negative tumor (Int J Gynecol Pathol 1999;18:265)
- 67 year old woman with vaginal bleeding (Anticancer Res 2003;23:1063)
- Patient with radiation induced malignant melanoma (Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2000;12:234)
- Amelanotic metastatic tumor presenting as cervical polyp (Acta Cytol 1985;29:612)
Gross description
- Gray blue black nodule
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Often small cell and spindle cell variants
- Junctional activity present in < 50%, variable melanin pigment
- Stromal infiltration by malignant cells
Microscopic (histologic) images
Cytology description
- Tumor cells with occasional cytoplasmic brown pigment, often bizarre shape; hyperchromatic and irregular nuclei, prominent nucleoli
- Also necrosis, occasional mitotic figures
Cytology images
Differential diagnosis
- Metastatic melanoma: usually from vulva or vagina, no junctional change in cervix
Additional references