Surgical Management of a Massive Occipital and Posterior Cervical Melanoma

Introduction/Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma continues to rise rapidly. Approximately one quarter of all cases occur within the head and neck region1. The primary management of melanoma is surgical extirpation, regardless of size. Large, destructive lesions often are associated with significant morbidity. There is a role for surgery in the palliative setting in order to decrease morbidity and assist in symptom relief for selected patients2. This case report describes the management of a massive, locally-recurrent melanoma significantly impacting quality of life.