Spindle cell amelanotic lesion of the tongue: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Melanomas occurring in the tongue are rarer, and when nonpigmented they are often misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. We report a 50-year-old woman who presented with a 3 × 2 cm soft swelling of mucosal color on the right lateral border of the tongue. The patient had multiple recurrences and was treated by radical radiotherapy, was operated thrice and received adjuvant 5 MIU interferon weekly. During the last surgery, she developed multiple cerebral infarcts and died on the fifth postoperative day. Oral amelanotic melanoma is a very aggressive and potential lethal tumor that often presents as diagnostic dilemma.