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Primary gingival malignant melanoma. Report of 3 cases
L Ardekian1, D J Rosen, M Peled
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Background:
Malignant melanoma is rare in the oral cavity and accounts for less than 1% of all melanomas. Nevertheless, the disease can be fatal, and early diagnosis and treatment may improve prognosis dramatically. The purpose of this paper is to report 3 new cases of primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity arising in the gingiva, and to review the literature regarding intraoral melanoma.
Methods:
Three cases are presented. One case was in the right mandibular molar area; the second in the right maxillary canine-premolar area; and the third in the left mandibular canine-premolar region. All patients were treated surgically, with postoperative radiotherapy.
Results:
The first patient lived for 2 years and the second for 3 years before distant metastases were diagnosed from which they subsequently died. The third patient was lost from follow-up after 18 months.
Conclusion:
Primary oral malignant melanoma is a deadly disease. Early suspicion of this disease will allow prompt treatment and increase the prognosis for these patients.