Background: Metastatic melanoma during pregnancy represents a life-threatening situation not only for the mother but also for the fetus due to aggressive therapy and potential maternal-fetal metastasis.
Case report: We report the case of a 37-year-old woman with advanced metastatic malignant melanoma during her first pregnancy, with a review of the literature. In this case, a tight and primarily interdisciplinary obstetrical and dermatological case management enabled the delivery of a small but healthy premature infant in the 29th week of gestation by planned Cesarean section. However, due to progressive disease, the mother died only 10 weeks after the delivery of the baby.
Conclusion: Sufficient perinatal and oncologic experience provided, diagnostic and surgical interventions as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy in metastatic melanoma disease are feasible and relatively safe even during pregnancy.
Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.