Perfil epidemiológico e histopatológico dos casos de melanoma cutaneo primário diagnosticados em Criciúma no período entre 2005 e 2007

background: melanoma is a skin tumor with the highest mortality, despite representing only 5% of the total. the incidence has increasing all over the world especially among fair-skinned individuals and the criciuma, with a predominance of italian ethnic,most susceptible to this type of tumor. objective: to know the epidemiological profile and histopathology of primary cutaneous melanoma in criciuma,and compares them with literature. methods: we conducted a retrospective study, sectional and the pathological reports of melanoma primary in criciuma, between january 2005 and december 2007. were analyzed the population affected by sex and age, topography, histologic type, the clark level and breslow thickness. results: there were 72 reports. the age ranged from 15 to 85 years, with an average of 51 years. the most frequent localization in men was the trunk (60%) in women predominated in the lower limbs(30.5%). the most frequent histological type was the extensive superficial (50%). the clark's level, the most frequent was level iii(32.3%) followed by level i (29.2%). most melanomas breslow had in situ(29.6%). conclusion: the profile of patients with cutaneous melanoma in criciúma-sc has characteristics similar to those described in the literature and world with regard to gender, age, topography and histology. the topography of the lesion, the study shows the importance of a clinical stricter mainly the trunk in men and women in the lower limbs. in this study there is a high incidence of melanoma per 100,000 in habitants, higher than the national average and state. on the other hand, melanomas showed a predominance of breslow considered more favorable prognosis