title: [Sinonasal mucosal melanomas. Review of 17 case].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucosal melanomas (MM) represent 1.3 % of all melanomas; 55 % of them are located in the head and neck region mainly in the sinonasal and oropharyngeal cavity. Sinonasal mucosal melanomas have a high rate of local recurrence and a high risk of developing metastases, two reasons explaining the low survival rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present 17 cases of sinonasal mucosal melanomas that were diagnosed and treated in our department from 1984 to July, 2008. The patients were studied by age, gender, site of presentation of the tumour, symptoms, radiology findings, treatment and course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen patients with sinonasal mucosal melanomas were studied. Of these 64.7 % were females and the mean age at presentation was 74 (range 48 to 93 years). Twelve cases developed in the nasal cavity and 5 in the paranasal sinuses. The most frequent site of presentation was the septum (35 %), and the most common symptom was epistaxis (77 %). Three patients rejected any treatment, 12 of the patients were treated surgically, one received chemotherapy and another chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. The 5 year disease-specific survival rate was 35.7 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sinonasal mucosal melanomas are rare tumours with a high mortality. The treatment of choice is still surgical resection with wide surgical margins. Even so, the main cause of treatment failure is local recurrence, followed by the development of metastases. Because of the poor prognosis with this tumour, new treatment strategies are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología. Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias. Universidad de Oviedo. Oviedo. Asturias. España. chescadoc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Díaz Molina
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodrigo Tapia
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Llorente Pendas
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez Nieto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy