Primary oral malignant melanoma: case report

Abstract

Oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is an aggressive tumor of melanocytic origin, arising from the mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity particularly from palate or alveolar gingivae. OMM represents about 1% of all melanomas and approximately 0.5% of all oral malignancies. In the case study presented, is a 68‑year‑old female patient, which examination findings were pigmented lesion growth involving the palate and alveolar ridge of maxilla, the histopathological analysis diagnosed malignant melanoma. This paper is presented to reemphasize the importance of the stomatologist in early diagnosis of pigmented lesions of oral cavity and highlight the fact that any suspicious pigmented lesion in the oral cavity may show potential growth and should be submitted to biopsy to exclude malignancy.