Department of Clinical Medicine and Immunological Sciences, Dermatology Section, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
Australas J Dermatol. 2012 Feb;53(1):32-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-0960.2011.00835.x. Epub 2011 Dec 29.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Melanoma has become a major public health problem worldwide and its incidence in individuals of Caucasian origin continues to rise. The objective was to determine historical changes in thickness, melanoma proportions and anatomical site of presentation over a 25-year period in our Department.
This was a historical retrospective study (January 1985 to December 2009). Only patients born and living in Italy were considered. The following parameters were evaluated: age, gender, year of diagnosis, site of primitive lesion (head, back, chest, anterior and posterior upper limbs, anterior and posterior lower limb, and acral sites) and Breslow thickness of the lesion.
In the 25-year period, 993 cases of melanoma were diagnosed. The total number of cases per year tripled between 1985-1989 and 1995-1999 and more than doubled between 1995-1999 and 2005-2009. Our results also revealed that thicker melanomas were more frequent in elderly patients and on parts of the body that cannot be readily self-inspected.
The importance of observation of the posterior parts of the body is stressed, since not only did most melanomas arise in these sites but the diagnosis of lesions in these sites is often delayed.
背景/目的：黑色素瘤已成为全球主要的公共卫生问题，白种人群体的发病率仍在持续上升。本研究旨在分析 25 年间本皮肤科黑色素瘤患者的厚度、比例及发病部位的变化。
本研究为回顾性历史研究（1985 年 1 月至 2009 年 12 月），仅纳入出生和居住于意大利的患者。评估参数包括：年龄、性别、诊断年份、原发病灶部位（头、背部、胸部、前/后上肢、前/后下肢、及肢端部位）和病变的 Breslow 厚度。
25 年间共诊断出 993 例黑色素瘤患者。1985-1989 年至 1995-1999 年期间，每年的黑色素瘤患者数量增加了两倍，而 1995-1999 年至 2005-2009 年期间，每年的黑色素瘤患者数量又增加了一倍。研究结果还显示，较厚的黑色素瘤多见于老年患者和不易自检的身体部位。
鉴于大部分黑色素瘤发生于上述部位，且这些部位的病变往往诊断较晚，我们应更加重视身体背部等不易自检部位的观察。
