Melanoma of the oral cavity: A silent killer

Oral malignant melanoma of the lower jaw-a case report with immunohistochemical investigations

Oral mucosal melanoma is a type of pigment-producing cell malignancy that primarily affects the skin and oral mucosa, but can also affect the ears, eyes, gastrointestinal tract and vaginal mucosa. Oral mucosal melanoma has several different clinical manifestations. Even though it frequently manifests as a black-brown patch, macule, or nodular lesion with varying tones of red, purple or depigmented tissue, the clinical characteristics and pathobiological behaviour of oral mucosal melanomas differ from those of cutaneous melanomas. The prognosis for oral melanomas is exceedingly bad because they frequently exhibit no symptoms, which may delay diagnosis. The case of a 65-year-old male patient with a primary complaint of blackened gums in the right lower back region of the jaw is presented here.

Comparative Review of Malignant Melanoma and Histologically Well-Differentiated Melanocytic Neoplasm in the Oral Cavity of Dogs

Oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is the most common neoplasm of the canine oral cavity. It is characterized by its aggressive local disease as well as its high rate of lymphatic invasion and distant metastasis. OMM carries a poor prognosis, with most patients succumbing to the disease due to progression of the neoplasm. Histopathologically, OMM is characterized by significant nuclear atypia, a mitotic index of greater than 4/10 hpf, and evidence of vascular invasion or metastasis. Clinically, these lesions can become locally invasive, causing lysis of bones and severe inflammation of the surrounding soft tissue. With time, these lesions can spread to the regional lymph node and to the lungs and other organs. Prognosis can vary depending on the size of the primary tumor, regional node involvement, and distant metastatic disease; however, multiple studies report a relatively short median survival time ranging from less than 4 months to 8 months. Histologically well- differentiated melanocytic neoplasms (HWDMN) are a variant of OMM and sometimes referred to as canine oral melanocytic neoplasms of low malignant potential. Unlike OMM, patients with HWDMN have longer survival times. Histopathologically, HWDMNs have well-differentiated melanocytes with a low mitotic index of 3 or less per 10 hpf and minimal nuclear atypia. HWDMNs have better prognosis with a mean survival time of up to 34 months. This article is a comparative review of OMM and its less aggressive counterpart.

Oral Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report

Melanoma is a malignant neoplasm of the epidermal melanocytes. Awareness and early recognition of pigmented lesion inside oral cavity helps in initial diagnosis and further investigation and treatment. Oral malignant melanoma is a rare aggressive neoplasm commonly seen among middle age. The diagnosis of melanoma initiates from the pre-existing pigmented lesions. The poor prognosis of oral melanomas requires that pigmented lesions of undetermined origin be routinely biopsied. A case of malignant melanoma of hard palate with its clinical, radiological and histopathological presentation along with brief review is presented. Prognosis of these lesion is poor with survival rate of 5 years.