CASE REPORTS   

Chirurgia 2011 June;24(3):181-3

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Primary oral melanoma: importance of early diagnosis

Nogueira Moreira R. ¹, Rocha Dos Santos C. R. ^{1, 2}, Lages Lima N. ^{1, 2}, De Miranda J. L. ^{1, 2}, Verli F. D. ^{1, 2}, Marinho S. A. ^{1, 2}

¹ Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil 2 Pathology Laboratory, Department of Basic Sciences, UFVJM, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Oral melanoma is a rare malignant tumor stemming from the disorganized proliferation of melanocytes. As this condition is asymptomatic in the early stages, diagnosis is most often only performed in the advanced stages, which leads to a high mortality rate. Orientation from health care professionals regarding the practice of self-examination is the best conduct for the early diagnosis of oral melanoma and institution of adequate treatment, thereby resulting in a greater patient survival rate. The aim of the present paper was to report a clinical case of primary oral melanoma and a satellite lesion with different histopathological patterns as well as to discuss the aspects of diagnosis and treatment and stress the importance of early diagnosis.