Vulvar Melanoma

Hi I am a 21 year old female. I had a baby girl a year ago last week. I have a couple of freckle looking lesions on my vulva and have noticed them since after my pregnancy. About a month ago I noticed a new one on the labia minora and I am really scared. I went to the doctor and he told me it didnt look like Melanoma but he did a biopsy anyway. Can this be melanoma or what else can it be? It was light brownish in color. Please help I am really scared and wont get the results back till next week.

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  Vulvar melanoma, although a possibility at your age, is an infrequent occurrence.  I would first consider some other more common conditions which could account for the lesions in your vulva, before settling for a diagnosis of melanoma.  Discolorations in the vulva may result from changes brought about by pregnancy.  It could also come from infection (e.g. genital warts).  Since a biopsy has already been performed, the best thing to do is to just wait for the results to come out.  Calm down and hope for the best, because things eventually do turn out for the best.