Mucosal malignant melanomas in head and neck surgery: a retrospective study of six patients and review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction Of all malignant processes of the oral mucosa, 0.5% are malignant

Primary retromolar malignant melanoma in a Latin American patient

“…1,6,12 Although there is no ethnic predilection or environmental factor that contributes to increased incidence of this neoplasm, individuals of African and Asian ethnicity are more commonly affected than individuals of Caucasian ethnicity. [1][2][3]6,11 However, considering that oral pigmented lesions have been observed frequently in Latin American mestizo patients, 14,15 clinicians must carefully examine the oral cavity in patients with suspected cancerous lesions; some pigmented lesions should be biopsied.…”

“…5 Primary melanoma of the oral mucosa occurs frequently among individuals of Asian and African ethnicities, partially in relation to the high frequency of melanic pigmentation in the oral mucosa. [1][2][3]6,11 To the best of our knowledge, primary malignant melanoma has scarcely been reported in patients from Latin America; reports of this subtype of melanoma are important for accurate diagnosis and treatment of Latin American individuals. Here, we describe primary retromolar malignant melanoma in a Latin American patient.…”

“…Within the oral cavity, the most frequently affected sites include the palate and maxillary gingiva; combined, these sites exhibit 80% of all melanomas in the oral cavity. 4,6,[10][11][12][13] The remaining melanomas are found in the mandibular gum, oral mucosa, tongue, and floor of the mouth. 5 Primary melanoma of the oral mucosa occurs frequently among individuals of Asian and African ethnicities, partially in relation to the high frequency of melanic pigmentation in the oral mucosa.…”

Melanoma oral: Importancia de un diagnóstico temprano. Un caso clínico.

“…Sin duda el pronóstico de los pacientes con melanoma mejora en cuanto la pesquisa de las lesiones es temprana y las lesiones aún no han invadido la lámina basal y los tejidos subyacentes, pudiéndose practicar biopsias excisionales sin el riesgo latente de provocar la dispersión de las células malignas a otros territorios (2,5) y sin duda, sin tener que realizar grandes resecciones de tejidos que implican altos costos funcionales y emocionales para los pacientes.…”

“…Sin embargo, existen estudios en los cuales se ha analizado este dilema y que no han vislumbrado diferencias en cuanto a dispersión del proceso neoplásico con uno u otro procedimiento (2,5) . En lo que existe consenso es que ante la sospecha, debe realizarse, de una u otra forma, un diagnóstico en el menor tiempo posible.…”