Mucosal malignant melanoma of the maxillary sinus

Mucosal malignant melanoma (MMM) is an aggressive tumour occurring in the upper respiratory tract. It is rare compared to malignant melanoma of the skin. We report a case of a 53-year-old man with left paranasal swelling. A biopsy showed high-grade spindle cell tumour. Subsequently a subtotal maxillectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a hypercellular tumour composed of mixed spindle and epitheloid cells with very occasional intracytoplasmic melanin pigment. The malignant cells were immunopositive for vimentin, S-100 protein and HMB-45. It was diagnosed as mucosal malignant melanoma (MMM). This article illustrates a rare case of MMM where the diagnosis may be missed or delayed without proper histopathological examination that include meticulous search for melanin pigment and appropriate immunohistochemical stains to confirm the diagnosis. Malignant melanoma can mimic many other types of high-grade malignancy and should be considered as a differential diagnosis in many of these instances.