BACKGROUND: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has increased at a rate of approximately 4 to 6% annually. This neoplasm occurs preferably in the female gender, between 30 and 79 years old and among Caucasian persons. The most common histopathological form is the extensive superficial one, and its location varies according to gender. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical, epidemiological and histopathological characteristics of primary cutaneous melanoma, at the University Hospital of Brasília, during a period of five years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review was conducted of the data registry concerning primary cutaneous melanoma cases, in the University Hospital of Brasília, diagnosed and treated between January 1994 and April 1999, with a total of 32 cases. The patients were analyzed, characterizing the tumor distribution according to gender, age, skin color, topography, symptomatology, histopathological type, Clark level, Breslow index and presence of metastasis. Data was analyzed by simple statistics and by Chi-square (chi2). RESULTS: A predominance was observed of lesions in the limbs, corresponding to sixteen patients (50.0%). There was the primary nodular form in nine (45%) patients, and seventeen (58.6%) patients did not have any complaint. According to the presence or absence of metastasis and Clark level, it was found that the patients with a level of invasion up to the subcutaneous layer (Clark V) presented a relative risk of 2.94 (1.24<CI<6.99). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical, epidemiological and histopathological profile of the patients with primary cutaneous melanoma at the University Hospital of Brasília, between January 1994 and April 1999, comprised of elderly females (from 61 to 80 years old), Caucasians, whose tumor was located predominantly in the limbs, the nodular type was the most frequent, and the patients did not present symptoms at the time of diagnosis.
epidemiology; melanoma
