title: [Clinical and pathological characteristics of head and neck malignant melanoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of head and neck malignant melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight cases of head and neck malignant melanoma were reviewed. There were 33 patients with melanoma in the nasal cavity and oral cavity, 35 patients with melanoma in the skin. The age fastigium of the patients was from 41 to 60 years. Surgical specimens in 52 cases and biopsy specimens in 16 cases were studied pathologically. S-100, HMB45 and NSE were examined immunohistochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathology studies showed that the cell morphology was pleomorphic as well as polymorphic both in shape and size of the cells. Immunohistochemical studies helped diagnosis as all of the 42 melanoma specimens were posture for S-100 and 90.5% positive for HMB45. In 52 of the 68 cases, the tumor was excised surgically, with additional radiotherapy in 13 cases or chemotherapy in 21 cases. Ten cases were treated with radiotherapy alone. In 56 patients followed-up, 12 survived for 5 years, including 9 cases of skin melanoma and 3 cases of nasal and oral melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The histo-pathological features of malignant melanoma vary significantly. Immunohistochemical staining helps diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The prognosis of malignant melanoma in nasal cavity and oral cavity is poor as compared to that in the skin of head and neck region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009418:S100 Proteins