Penile melanoma: a pathological report of two cases

Background Penile melanoma (PM) is a rare tumor, accounting for less than 2% of all penile cancers. PM can occur on the surface of the glans, foreskin, and opening of the urethra. Furthermore, PM primarily affects older individuals and is not associated with sun exposure. Currently, there is no spec...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diagnostic pathology 2023-10, Vol.18 (1), p.1-117, Article 117
Main Authors: Pósfai, Boglárka, Szentkereszty, Márton, Sánta, Fanni, Bajory, Zoltán, Simon, Andrea, Kozéki, Zsófia, Csányi, Ildikó, Akgul, Mahmut, Kuthi, Levente
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Cancer
Case Report
Cloning
Diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
Gene mutations
Genital cancers
Genitourinary tract
Hematuria
Immunotherapy
Ipilimumab
Lymphatic system
Males
Medical prognosis
Melanoma
Metastasis
Mucosal Melanoma
Mutation
Outpatient care facilities
PD-L1 protein
Penis
PRAME
Radiation therapy
Staging
Surgery
Tumors
Urethra
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background Penile melanoma (PM) is a rare tumor, accounting for less than 2% of all penile cancers. PM can occur on the surface of the glans, foreskin, and opening of the urethra. Furthermore, PM primarily affects older individuals and is not associated with sun exposure. Currently, there is no specific staging system for genitourinary tract melanomas, so these tumors are typically staged using the criteria for cutaneous melanoma. Limited data in the literature suggests that PM generally has a poor clinical prognosis. Case presentation Here, we describe two cases of PM. The first case affected a 62-year-old male who presented with hematuria and a painful tumor in the distal urethra, leading to a suspicion of penile cancer. The second case involved a 68-year-old male who noticed a rapidly evolving dark spot on his foreskin. Histological analysis confirmed the presence of melanoma in both patients. The tumors showed a diffuse and strong PRAME-positivity and lacked BRAF mutation in both cases. Additionally, the second tumor harbored an activating CKIT mutation. An enhanced PD-L1 expression was observed in both tumors. Conclusions We presented two rare forms of mucosal melanoma and highlighted the entities in the differential diagnosis. Based on our experience PRAME is a helpful marker for making the diagnosis of PM, and PD-L1 can predict the success of the immunotherapy. We also emphasize the need for an organ-specific staging system for PMs. Keywords: Melanoma, PRAME, Staging, Mucosal Melanoma
ISSN:1746-1596
1746-1596
DOI:10.1186/s13000-023-01404-x