[Sinonasal mucosal melanoma]

Mucosal melanomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are rare and agresive neoplasms and carries a bad prognosis. The diagnosis may require confirmatory immunohistochemical stains (S-100 protein, HMB-45, vimentin and cytokeratine). The clinical records of 6 patients with the diagnosis of sinonasal melanomas between 1991 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 70 years (range 51 to 83 years), there were 2 men and 4 women. Surgery was performed in four patients, adjuvant radiation therapy was used in one patient after local recurrence and chemotherapy in three patients. Three of four patients (75%) had a recurrence after previous treatment (surgery). The actuarial disease-free survival for this group of 6 is 33.3% (2 of 6). Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck remains a difficult disease to treat, with high locoregional recurrence rates and poor prognosis.