VULVAR MELANOMA - A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF PROGNOSTIC FACTORS AND OUTCOMES

We attempted to analyze the prognostic factors and outcomes in our pop ulation of patients with melanoma of the vulva using a retrospective c hart review of 14 consecutive patients from January 1, 1986, to June 3 0, 1994. Prognostic variables were analyzed using the t-test and the M ann-Whitney rank sum test. Eight patients underwent radical vulvectomy , and 6 had a radical local excision. Inguinal lymphadenectomy was per formed in 7 patients (all nodes negative). Mean tumor diameter was 21 mm, and mean depth of invasion was 3.54 mm. Tumor diameter was signifi cant in predicting both recurrence and survival. No statistically sign ificant difference was found in relation to depth of invasion, Breslow 's level, or location. In this study, only tumor size correlated with recurrence and survival.