Raised vulvar lesions: be aware!

Abstract

Vulvar melanoma is a rare and deadly cancer in women, and the prognosis is often poor. There are limited studies on the dermoscopic features of vulvar melanoma. Described criteria include the presence of blue, gray, or white colors. Herein we present the clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of a hypopigmented and heavily pigmented nodule in a 92-year-old and an 80-year-old woman. Dermoscopy in the former revealed structureless milky-red to white areas, remnants of brown pigmentation at the base and polymorphic vessels, while the latter displayed structureless blue-gray areas with black dots and peripheral lines at the base. In both cases, histopathology revealed a stage III melanoma. Our two cases along with a review of the literature suggest that the dermoscopic features described for diagnosing cutaneous nodular melanoma, apply also for vulvar melanoma. Clinicians should always raise the suspicion if observing plaques or nodules with a dermoscopic polymorphic vascular pattern and blue-black color on the genitals of postmenopausal women.

Keywords

• vulvar melanoma
• melanoma
• pigmented lesion
• dermoscopy