Evaluation of Epidemiologic and Morphologic Data of Genital Melanosis in Men and Women

Abstract

Introduction: Genital melanosis is a benign hyperpigmentation, which can occur in both, men and women. It shares similar clinical characteristics to malignant melanoma, which makes a differentiation between the two difficult, but all the more important, since therapy and prognosis differ. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse epidemiological and clinical data of men and women, who received the diagnosis genital melanosis. Materials and Methods: Data was collected from patients who received the diagnosis of genital melanosis at the Department of Dermatology and Venerology at the Medical University of Graz during January 2010 and June 2016.This data was epidemiologically and morphologically evaluated, and subsequently, a statistical analysis was conducted. This evaluation was done to improve knowledge of the characterization of these lesions, which can be useful for the diagnosis and elimination of possible differential diagnoses. Results: A total of 79 patients (n=64, 81% women and n=15, 19% men) with genital lesions were included in our analysis. The average age of all patients was 52 years (± 15.7 years). A histopathological diagnosis was confirmed in 64 cases (81%) and a clinical diagnosis was made in 15 cases (19%). Mucosal genital melanosis was confirmed as a diagnosis in 74 cases (95%), and in 5 cases (5%) a different diagnosis was found histologically (1 melanoma in situ, 3 melanocytic nevi and 1 verruca seborrhoica). In men, lesions were frequently found on the glans penis, in women the labia minora were most common affected. Most patients presented multifocal lesions (n=56, 71%), fewer patients presented unifocal lesions (n=23, 29%). Male patients with genial melanosis were on average 38.5 years old with a significant difference to female patients, with an average of 54.4 years (p

Datum der Bewilligung	2017
Originalsprache	Englisch
Gradverleihende Hochschule	Medizinische Universität Graz
Betreuer/-in	Iris Zalaudek (Betreuer*in)