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Amalgam tattoo.

Hien T Tran1, Niroshana Anandasabapathy, Anthony C Soldano

  • 1Department of Dermatology, New York University, USA.

Dermatology Online Journal
|July 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

An oral amalgam tattoo, a common benign pigmented lesion, was diagnosed in a patient with a history of melanoma. This highlights the importance of differentiating amalgam tattoos from malignant melanoma in the oral cavity.

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Area of Science:

  • Oral Pathology
  • Dermatology
  • Dental Materials Science

Background:

  • Amalgam tattoos are common benign oral pigmented lesions.
  • They arise from the deposition of dental amalgam components into oral soft tissues.
  • Differential diagnosis is crucial, especially in patients with a history of melanoma.

Observation:

  • A 53-year-old woman presented with asymptomatic dark-brown macules on her tongue.
  • Biopsy revealed squamous mucosa with chronic inflammation and brown pigment.
  • Clinical and histopathologic findings confirmed an amalgam tattoo.

Findings:

  • The oral lesions were definitively diagnosed as amalgam tattoos.
  • Amalgam tattoos are caused by the deposition of metals like silver, tin, mercury, copper, and zinc.

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  • The patient's history of melanoma necessitated ruling out malignancy.

    • Implications:

    • Accurate diagnosis of oral pigmented lesions is essential.
    • Amalgam tattoos can mimic more serious conditions like oral melanoma.
    • Treatment options for amalgam tattoos include surgical excision or laser therapy.