A case of primary malignant melanoma of vagina

Immunocytochemical approach for the accurate diagnosis

Abstract

A case of malignant melanoma of the vagina in a 78-year-old woman is presented. The patient had a coffee bean sized cystic tumor with peripheral pigmentation on the right-posterior vaginal mucosa.
Tumor cells containing intraceIlular brown granules were observed on asmear specimen and the granules disappered with hydrogen peroxide treatment.
The tumor cells showed positive staining for S-100protein, neuron-specific enolase and neuro-filament protein. The present study suggests that immunocytochemical staining of tumor cells may be useful for the diagnosis of patients with malignant melanoma.