Melanoma of glans penis and urethra: A case report and systematic review of the literature of a rare and complex neoplasm.

To evaluate the features and prognosis of melanoma of glans penis and urethra, with the presentation of a significant case report. A systematic literature review was performed using the MEDLINE (PubMed) and Cochrane Libraries databases to identify all cases of male mucosal melanoma reported. Two hundred fifty-two patients with male mucosal primary melanoma were found. Glans penis and fossa navicularis as primary site includes the 81.6% of all lesions considered. Median Breslow's depth is 2.1 mm, whereas nine in situ melanomas have been reported. At the diagnosis, the disease was at a non-localized stage in 21.4% for glans penis melanomas and 11.7% urethral lesions, respectively. The 2 and 5-year survival for glans melanoma is 62.5% and 38.4%; higher rates were observed in the 2012-2020 period (76% and 58.8%, respectively). Two-year survival for urethral melanomas is 66.7%, while 5-year survival is 12.5%. 22 patients survived over 5 years with a Breslow's depth reported always < 3.3 mm. Melanoma of the glans penis and urethra is a rare neoplasm associated with a poor prognosis, however recent reports show higher survival rates. Surgery remains the mainstay for a localized disease. Taking into account the small number of cases reported, topical imiquimod seems to be a valid non-surgical alterative for melanoma in situ. The use of immunotherapy and targeted therapy should be considered only in an adjuvant setting according to the recommendations of cutaneous melanoma; however, additional clinical data on male mucosal melanoma are needed to draw definitive conclusions.

Citation

Alessandro Franceschelli, Franco Palmisano, Giorgio Gentile, Valerio Vagnoni, Guido Zannetti, Riccardo Cipriani, Fulvio Colombo. Melanoma of glans penis and urethra: A case report and systematic review of the literature of a rare and complex neoplasm. Urologia. 2023 Nov;90(4):766-774

Mesh Tags

PMID: 34528492

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