Clinicopathological features and ethnic disparities of melanoma in the United Arab Emirates: 2017-2025.
Nodular subtype is the strongest independent predictor of thick melanoma in United Arab Emirates patients.
Clinicopathological features and ethnic disparities of melanoma in the United Arab Emirates: 2017-2025.
Cutaneous melanoma incidence is rising globally, yet clinicopathological data from the high ultraviolet (ultraviolet) environment in the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates), with its diverse expatriate population, remain scarce.
This study aims to characterize the histopathological features of cutaneous melanoma in a large, multi-ethnic cohort in the United Arab Emirates.
This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed histopathologically confirmed cases of cutaneous melanoma diagnosed at a specialized dermatopathology laboratory in the United Arab Emirates from 01/01/2017-01/01/2025.
nodular subtype makes thick melanoma over 18 times more likely
A total of 597 patients met the inclusion criteria (50.8% male; mean age 47.4 ± 12.3 years).
Individuals of European ancestry constituted 73.4% of cases.
Superficial spreading melanoma was the predominant subtype (58.5%), and 46.9% of melanomas were thin (≤1.0 mm).
Melanoma in the United Arab Emirates disproportionately affects fair-skinned expatriates and frequently presents with sex-specific clinical patterns.
These findings highlight the need for targeted public awareness initiatives to reduce melanoma morbidity and mortality in the region.