Oral malignant melanoma: An aggressive clinical entity - Report of a rare case with review of literature.
Melanomais one of the most dreaded and aggressive neoplasms, being derived from epidermal melanocytes. The majority of melanomas are seen to involve the skin, and primary mucosal melanomas account for less than 1% of all melanomas. Oral malignant melanomas (OMM) are asymptomatic at the initial presentation, but later they become painful with growth and expansion. In the late stages, the patient may present with ulceration, bleeding, tooth mobility, paresthesia, ill-fitting prosthesis, and delayed healing of the extraction sockets. Diagnosis is often delayed due to asymptomatic clinical presentation, with silent progression of the lesion. OMM are associated with poor prognosis due to their invasive and metastasizing tendencies. The condition has poor survival rates, and metastatic melanomas show even worse prognosis. The 5-year survival rate for OMM ranges 4.5-29%, with 18.5 months being the mean survival rate. The tumor is best managed by wide surgical resection; however, consideration should also be made for adjunctive therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Recurrences may be seen even 10-15 years after the primary therapy. This paper aims to present an interesting report of aggressive OMM in a 50-year-old male patient and emphasizes the role of dental professionals in maintaining a high degree of vigilance for the pigmented lesions of the oral cavity. Pigmented lesions of uncertain origin should be routinely biopsied to rule out malignancy. Early diagnosis of this dreadful entity entails thorough history taking, physical examination, and radiographic features coupled with histopathology.
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
Shamimul
S
Hasan
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Teerthankar Mahaveer Dental College, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sami Faisal
SF
Jamdar
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Government Dental College, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
Jogender
J
Jangra
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Specialist Dental Center, Hafer Al Batin, Saudi Arabia.
Sadun Mohammad Al Ageel
SM
Al Beaiji
Melanocytes; oral malignant melanoma; pigmentary lesions