Epidemiological and histopathological profile of malignant melanoma in Malawi

Background Studies on malignant melanoma have largely focused on Caucasian populations due to higher incidence in lighter-skinned individuals. While there is a well developed body of literature describing melanoma in African-Americans, much less is known about melanoma in black Africans. Prior reports have suggested that it is reportedly extremely rare in black Africans who are considered to mostly have the acral lentiginous subtype. However, an accurate understanding of melanoma in this part of the world is hindered by the very limited nature of prior publications. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile, anatomical distribution and histopathological features of melanoma presenting in Africans at a tertiary referral hospital in Malawi.