Korean J Urol.  2012 Mar;53(3):206-208.

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Female Urethra

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. stcho@hallym.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

We report here on a rare case of primary malignant melanoma of the female urethra. A 69-year-old female presented at our hospital with a several month history of dysuria, poor stream, gross hematuria, intermittent blood spots, and a painful mass at the external urethral meatus. The physical examination revealed a soft, small, chestnut-sized lesion through the urethral orifice. The mass was tan colored, ulcerated, covered with necrotic tissue, and protruded from the external urethral meatus. The mass was removed by wide local excision under spinal anesthesia. The pathological diagnosis was malignant melanoma of the urethra. Computed tomography of the abdomen as well as a whole-body bone scan showed no evidence of metastasis. The patient has been free of disease for 6 months postoperatively. We discuss the clinicopathologic features and treatment of this tumor.

Keyword

Female; Melanoma; Urethra

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Aged
Anesthesia, Spinal
Dysuria
Female
Hematuria
Humans
Melanoma
Neoplasm Metastasis
Physical Examination
Rivers
Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl
Ulcer
Urethra
Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl

Figure

  • FIG. 1 The appearance of the urethral malignant melanoma at presentation. There is a polypoid, tan colored, ulcerated mass of the external urethral meatus.

  • FIG. 2 Light microscopic findings of the surgical specimen. The large epithelioid tumor cells have dusty brown melanin pigments and frequent mitotic figures are seen (H&E, ×400).

  • FIG. 3 The immunohistochemical staining findings of the surgical specimen. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for HMB-45 (A) and S-100 protein (B).


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