Amelanotic malignant melanomas of the oral mucosa.
Oral amelanotic melanomas are rare and the prognosis is poorer than that of pigmented melanomas because of delays in establishing the correct diagnosis and in the initiation of treatment. Amelanotic forms are also thought to be biologically more aggressive than pigmented melanomas. We have seen three cases of oral amelanotic melanomas since 1970, in two of whom the diagnosis was long delayed. Two lesions were not pigmented but one had slight pigmentation. One patient simultaneously had both an amelanotic and a pigmented melanoma in the oral cavity. Lymph node metastases and distant metastases developed in all patients, two of whom eventually died of the disease. Early diagnosis by histological examination together with immunostaining with S100 and HMB-45 are the keys to improve survival for patients with amelanotic melanoma.
Notani
K
K
First Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dentistry, Hokkaido University, Saporo, Japan. ken-1@den.hokudai.ac.jp
Shindoh
M
M
Yamazaki
Y
Y
Nakamura
H
H
Watanabe
M
M
Kogoh
T
T
Ferguson
M M
MM
Fukuda
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018328:Melanoma, Amelanotic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D004396:Coloring Agents; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009418:S100 Proteins