Clinical Experience of Mucosal Amelanotic Melanoma in the Nasal Cavity and Maxillary Sinus

ABSTRACT

Malignant melanoma comprises 1.2% of all malignant tumors and more than 90% of malignant melanoma arises in the skin. About 1% of all malignant melanomas occur in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Mucosal melanoma of head and neck are rare and show poor prognosis. Although melanoma in the oral cavity sometimes tends to be neglected more than similar lesions on the skin and other locations, pigmented melanoma is usually easy to diagnose clinically because of its red to black or brown color and its irregular outline. However, amelanotic melanoma with lack of pigmentation, often defies correct clinical diagnosis initially before confirmation by biopsy. The authors have recently experienced a case showing good clinical result to the present, after total maxillectomy and split thickness skin graft and postoperative radiotherapy in the mucosal amelanotic melanoma involving the nasal cavity and right maxillary sinus, so report this case with a review of literature