Melanoma. A Clinical Case Report

Abstract

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), caused most often in the skin (Saúl, 2001). Oral melanomas and melanomas arising on other mucous membranes, such as the nose, pharynx, and conjunctiva, are termed mucosal melanomas. As a group, they invade and spread more quickly, metastasize more quickly and frequently, and therefore are associated with a much poorer prognosis than cutaneous melanomas. Like cutaneous melanomas, they arise from melanocyte precursors and nevus cells. Its appearance on mucous membranes follows the same ABCD recognition algorithm as skin melanomas (asymmetry, border irregularity, color variegation, and diameter enlargement). For their invasive characteristics melanoma is considered a lethal malignancy in oral pathology, but its early diagnosis increases the likelihood of survival, the importance of this case is that the students of the degree of dental surgeon can identify clinically your features and refer the oral maxillofacial surgeon or pathologist responsible for timely patient care and survival potentiating the same (Marx et al., 2003).