A RARE CASE OF PRIMARY ORAL CAVITY MELANOMA - A CASE REPORT

Abstract : Oral malignant melanoma is a rare tumour of melanocytic origin, most commonly found on the hard palate and gingiva and often very aggressive in nature. They represent only 0.2-8 of all melanomas . In addition to that, oral mucosal melanomas have by far the worst prognosis, and hence early detection is prudent for improving the prognosis. Histopathological examination of pigmented lesions of oral cavity is necessary to rule out this aggressive neoplasm. Computed tomography helps in assessing both the extent of the lesion and the presence of regional metastasis to the lymph nodes. Malignant melanoma cells stain with antibodies against HMB-45, S-100 protein and Vimentin, and hence immuno-histochemistry plays a important role in assessing the depth of invasion and location of metastasis. Here we report a 60-year old female patient with malignant melanoma of the Maxillary gingiva, highlighting rarity of the disease and the role of various diagnostic tools in its detection and the prognosis.