A Case of Amelanotic Malignant Melanoma Misconceived as Nasal Polyp

Abstract

Mucosal malignant melanomas (MM) within the nose and paranasal sinuses are rare, representing 1-3% of MM and 3-4% of malignant sinonasal tumors. The incidence of amelanotic MM with primary lesions in the sinonasal cavity is also extremely rare. The absence of pigmentation in the tumor may result in diagnostic confusion. Amelanotic MM may masquerade as a variety of other conditions leading to a delay in the diagnosis and worsen the prognosis. In this report, we present, along a brief review of the literature, an interesting case of amelanotic MM misconceived as a nasal polyp. Although paranasal MRI and endoscopy showed no evidence of remnant mass after surgery, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) image showed an area of increaed fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2010;53:366-70 Key WordsZZMelanoma, amelanotic·Nasal cavity·Nasal polyps.