Maligant melanoma has been the focus of considerable epidemiological attention. Race, living condition and skin types are the most important factors influencing the biological behavior and overall outcome of malignant melanoma. There is widespread agreement that melanoma occurs less frequently in the pigmented than in the non-pigmented races. Systemic evaluation of Korean melanoma patients has been limited. The frequency of melanoma in Korea is much lower than that in Cauccasians but the patients of mlanoma were slowly increased. Since the ultimate prrignusis is directly related to the depth of invasion of primary melanoma, all physicion should remain alert to changes in pigmented lesion in order to establish an early diagnosis and treatment. Twenty-two cases of malignant melanoma were admitted and treated at St. Mary Hosp. from Jan. 1981 to Aug. 1988. A review of this clinical materials revealed following: 1) Sex distribution showed 10 cases were male and 12 cases were female. The peak incidence of age was 5th decade. 2) The most common symptom was mass. The other symptoms were discoloration, Gl symptoms and ocular pain. 3) The most common site was extremity. The other sites were trunk, eye, head and neck. 4) Metastasis was most commonly to regional lymph node.. Site of distant metastasis included optic nerve, intra-abdvminal, brain. 5) Most frequentiy performed surgical procedure was wide excision with or without regional lymph node dissection (45%). 6) Major growth pattern was nodular melanoma (4). Others were epitheloid melanoma (2), acral lentigous melanoma l2l, superficial spreading meianoma (I) and unclassified (13). il In analysis of staging, Stage III-IV were most common (15 cases, 68%). 0 In chemotherapy, 10 cases were treated with 4 chemotherpeutic agent, all including DTIC. In immunothvrapy, BCG & TCV Itumor cell vaccine) were applied (6 cases).
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