Satellite and in-transit (SIT) metastases from melanoma are more predominant in females than in males.
A prospective study was undertaken on 489 patients registered between 1981 and 1983 in order to evaluate the correlation between the sex of the patient and the incidence of satellite and in-transit (SIT) metastases. There were 186 males, 12 of whom (6.5%) showed clinical or histopathological evidence of SIT lesions at the time of diagnosis. Thirty-one out of 303 females (10.2%) had SIT lesions. Moreover, the extent of SIT involvement was greater in females than in males. Five out of 12 males (41.7%) had clinical evidence of SIT lesions, compared to 20 out of 31 females (64.5%). The other patients with SIT lesions had microscopical involvement only. Similarly, only 1 out of 12 males (8.3%) had in-transit lesions (greater than 5 cm from primary), compared to 6 out of 31 females (19.4%). The female preponderance in developing SIT lesions was statistically significant (P less than 0.05, allowing for stage of disease and extent of SIT involvement). It is concluded that the female sex is correlated with an increased risk of developing SIT metastases when compared with males of similar (micro)stage.