Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 68, Issue 4 , Pages 867-869 , April 2010

Melanotic Pigmentation of Palatal Salivary Glands as a Possible Precursor to Malignant Melanoma: Report of an Unusual Case

  • Marco Meleti, DDS, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Consultant Professor, Unit of Oral Pathology and Laser-assisted Surgery, Section of Odontostomatology, Department of Otolaryngological/Dental/Ophthalmological and Cervico-Facial Sciences, University of Parma, Italy; and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology, VU Medical Center/ACTA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence and reprint requests to Prof Meleti: Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100, Parma, Italy
    • ,
  • Wolter J. Mooi, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Full Professor, Department of Pathology, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Isaäc van der Waal, DDS, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Full Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology, VU Medical Center/ACTA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

References 

  1. Renaut AJ. Melanoma arising within the parotid salivary gland—A case report and review of management. Eur J Surg Oncol. 1996;22:201
  2. Sekine J, Anami M, Fujita S, et al. A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma with melanin pigmentation manifested in the palate. Virchows Arch. 2005;446:460
  3. Takeda Y. Existence and distribution of melanocytes and HMB-45 positive cells in the minor salivary glands. Pathol Int. 2000;50:15
  4. Takeda Y, Satoh M, Nakamura S. Pigmented pleomorphic adenoma, a novel melanin-pigmented benign salivary gland tumour. Virchows Arch. 2004;445:199
  5. Shivas AA, Maclennan WD. “Melanogenic metaplasia” of mucous glands. Br J Cancer. 1963;17:411
  6. Patel SG, Prasad ML, Escrig M. Primary mucosal melanoma of the head and neck. Head Neck. 2002;24:247
  7. Meleti M, Leemans CR, Mooi WJ, et al. Oral malignant melanoma: A review of the literature. Oral Oncol. 2007;43:116
  8. Rapini RP, Golitz LE, Greer RO, et al. Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity (A review of 177 cases). Cancer. 1985;55:1543
  9. Meleti M, Mooi WJ, Casparie MK, et al. Melanocytic nevi of the oral mucosa—No evidence for increased risk of oral malignant melanoma: An analysis of 119 cases. Oral Oncol. 2007;43:976
  10. Hicks MJ, Flaitz CM. Oral mucosal melanoma: Epidemiology and pathobiology. Oral Oncol. 2000;36:152
  11. Takeda Y, Kurose A. Pigmented mucoepidermoid carcinoma, a case report and a review of the literature on melanin-pigmented salivary gland tumors. J Oral Sci. 2006;48:243
  12. Azzopardi JG, Eusebi V. Melanocytic colonization and pigmentation of breast carcinoma. Histopathology. 1977;1:21
  13. Sakaki M, Shek TW, Hirokawa M, et al. Melanotic oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx: A report of seven cases and review of the literature. Virchows Arch. 2004;444:345
  14. Takeda Y. Melanocytes in the human parotid gland. Pathol Int. 1997;47:581
  15. Wyatt AJ, Agero AL, Delgado R, et al. Cutaneous metastatic breast carcinoma with melanocyte colonization: A clinical and dermoscopic mimic of malignant melanoma. Dermatol Surg. 2006;32:949

PII: S0278-2391(09)01235-X

doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2009.04.133

Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 68, Issue 4 , Pages 867-869 , April 2010

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