title: Metastatic melanoma to the palatine tonsil with a favourable prognosis.
abstract: Metastasis to the oral cavity from cutaneous melanoma is rare: fewer than 30 cases of metastatic melanoma to the palatine tonsil have been reported. Tonsil metastasis is haematogenously disseminated and therefore usually has a poor prognosis. We present a case of metastatic melanoma to the palatine tonsil occurring 6(1/2) years after removal of the primary cutaneous lesion. The patient has remained disease-free for 18 months since the removal of skin and tonsil metastases. Immunohistopathologically, HLA class II and costimulatory factor B7-2 molecules were concomitantly expressed on melanoma cells: we suggest that the patient was therefore able to develop antimelanoma T-cell activation resulting in prevention of further metastasis, and thus a favourable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakasugi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kageshita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; C497964:CD86 protein, human; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins