Paediatric Malignant Melanoma in Ireland – A Population Study and Review of the Literature

Abstract Introduction Malignant melanoma is increasing in frequency worldwide however this disease is rare in childhood. As large-scale studies into paediatric melanoma are lacking management is currently often based upon understanding of the disease process in adults. The aim of this study was to characterise cases of paediatric melanoma diagnosed in the Republic of Ireland over a 21-year period. Methods This was a retrospective, multicentre study using national data provided by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland and individual practitioners. Results Twenty-four cases of melanoma treated in 11 different centres were included in the study. The median patient age at diagnosis was 15 years. The majority of cases arose on the limbs. The median Breslow thickness in patients of the pre-pubertal age group was 8.25mm while in children over 13 years was 1.65mm. Eight patients had disease recurrence and five patients died. Conclusion Melanoma remains a rare diagnosis in children. This study contributes to our current understanding of malignant melanoma in paediatric patients however further investigation of the disease characteristics in this group is necessary to achieve optimal management of these cases and therefore improve outcomes.