Demographics, Histopathologic, and Anatomical Variations of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: an Iranian Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathologic and anatomical characteristics of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) according to demographic variables in an Iranian population. This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care university-affiliated cancer institute in Tehran, Iran. Medical records of all the patients diagnosed with CMM were reviewed between 2012 and 2018. The histopathologic and anatomical data were analyzed based on demographic characteristics of the patients. A total of 370 patients with CMM (58.4% female) were included in this study. The lower extremity (32%) and head and neck (29%) were the most common sites for initial occurrence of CMM. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female for anatomical location of CMM (p = 0.11). In men, 80% of the lesions were located on the right side of the body while in women, only 54% of the lesions were located on the right side (p = 0.03). Furthermore, CMM of the lower extremity occurred more commonly in the right side in men than it did in women (p = 0.04). However, women were more likely to have a right-sided head and neck lesion (p = 0.02). Among Iranian patients with CMM, lower extremity is, in general, the most common site of involvement in both genders. In men, the lesion is more commonly found on the right lower extremity while in women CMM presents more commonly on the right side of the head and neck.