title: Metastatic melanoma of the tongue: a case report with immunohistochemical profile.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanoma of the skin is characterised by a high metastatic potential, but reports of metastasis to the tongue are rare. We report a case of skin melanoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes, tongue and brain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This report highlights the clinical and histological features of oral metastatic melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 72-year-old man was seen with a nodule on the tongue. The differential diagnosis included salivary gland tumour, lymphoma and metastatic melanoma. His medical history revealed treatment for melanoma in the periumbilical region and micrometastases in the inguinal lymph nodes. An incisional biopsy was obtained and histological analysis showed the presence of a solid, epithelioid malignant tumour of monotonous appearance infiltrating the skeletal musculature. Immunohistochemistry showed reactivity of neoplastic cells to anti-HMB45, anti-melan A and anti-S100 antibodies and negativity for anti-PAN cytokeratin, confirming the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings highlight the importance of a complete medical evaluation of the patient by anamnesis to identify possible oral repercussions of primary diseases in other organs and/or systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, São José dos Campos Dental School, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica Ghislaine O
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Luciene R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Chagas
authors.forename: Yasmin R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Luiz A G
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Ricardo D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Coletta
authors.forename: Janete D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D058965:MART-1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D058951:gp100 Melanoma Antigen
chemical_list: D058965:MART-1 Antigen; C548667:MLANA protein, human; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; C548637:PMEL protein, human; D009418:S100 Proteins; D058951:gp100 Melanoma Antigen
keywords: immunohistochemistry; melanoma; oral cancer; oral mucosa; skin cancer