Melanoma of the oral mucosa: report of an aggressive case and review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction: Melanoma is an aggressive malignant neoplasm of uncertain etiology. Although the third most common skin cancer, melanoma is rare in the oral cavity, accounting for less than 1% of all melanomas and for 0.5% of all malignant oral tumors. Objective:This study reports a case of melanoma diagnosed and followed up by the dentistry team of the Napoleão Laureano Hospital, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Case report: A 69-year--old dark-skinned male patient was referred to the stomatology service of the hospital reporting pain and bleeding in the upper alveolar ridge, as well as the presence of a "lump" at the same site. Intraoral physical examination revealed a purple nodule of soft consistency in the anterior maxilla, which measured 2.0 cm in diameter and exhibited superficial ulcerations. An incisional biopsy was performed and histopathological analysis revealed intense proliferation of atypical melanocytes characterized by variable degrees of pleomorphism and nuclear hyperchromatism. The diagnosis was melanoma of the oral mucosa. The patient underwent surgical resection consisting of complete removal of the tumor with wide safety margins, chemotherapy, and adjuvant radiotherapy. The patient continues under follow-up and showed no recurrence of the lesion one year after surgery. Conclusion: Melanoma of the oral mucosa exhibits an aggressive behavior and rapid growth, as observed in the present case. Knowledge of the clinical and etiopathogenic features is important for the early diagnosis of the disease in order to improve patient survival.

Report of a recurrent tongue malignant melanoma and review of literature

“…1 The size and depth of the tumor, lymphovascular invasion(LVI), necrosis, polymorphic neoplastic cells, lymph node involvement, and metastasis straightly affect the prognosis. 11 The five-year survival rate of OMM is about 15-38% which is the lowest among other melanoma. 3 Melanomas of the oral cavity and tongue are commonly found in patients older than 40 years, and males are affected slightly more than females.…”