Primary cutaneous melanoma of the scalp: Patterns of clinical, histological and epidemiological characteristics in Brazil.

In the present study, head and neck melanomas represented 14.9% of all melanomas, a frequency slightly lower than that described in the literature and the mean age of melanoma on the scalp found was lower than that reported in the literature. These results could be explained by the demographic characteristics of Brazil, which has a population with a lower life expectancy compared to the European and North American population. Scalp melanomas occurred in older men, were diagnosed with greater Breslow thickness and were associated with the presence of perineural invasion, mitosis and ulceration.