Pigmented squamous cell carcinoma in situ (PSCCIS) is very rare, being clinically described as a pigmented lesion with histological characteristics of an in-situ carcinoma presenting pigmentation within neoplastic cells. A 50-year-old Afro-descendant man came for clinical evaluation of a painful black and red lesion located on the right aspect of the oropharyngeal isthmus. After incisional biopsy, the resulting sample was described as a pigmented squamous cell carcinoma in situ, a diagnosis further confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. Treatment consisted in total excision of the lesion, and no recurrence was observed after a 30-month follow-up. Clinicians and pathologists should be aware of PSCCIS as a differential diagnosis of melanoma, a lesion which significantly increases the morbidity and mortality rates among these patients. Key words:Pigmented squamous cell carcinoma in situ; oropharyngeal mucosa; immunohistochemistry.