[Primary melanoma of the oral cavity]

Melanoma most often develops in the skin; usually at the site of a preexisting nevus. It is quite rare in the oral cavity and the maxilla is the most common location there. It appears that males between 60 and 70 years old are affected more often than females. The etiology is unknown. However the melachromatic nevus and the color of the skin are considered predisposing factors. Based on clinical and histologic criteria it is classified in three categories. Unfortunately the frequency of the occurrence of each category into the mouth separately, is inversely proportional to the prognosis. The 5 year survival rate of intraoral melanoma does not exceed 5-9%. The treatment of melanoma is surgical and comprises radical excision of the lesion and radical neck dissection. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy do not seem to contribute to the treatment. We present our experience of two patients with melanoma of the maxilla. In one case submandibular lymphadenopathy had already been established and a radical neck dissection was performed. In the other case subtotal maxillectomy was performed with intraoral approach.