ORAL MALIGNANT-MELANOMA IN JAPAN

Clinical examination was performed on 20 cases of malignant melanoma i n the oral region encountered at the First Department of Oral and Maxi llofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental Univ ersity, during the 22-year period from 1970 to 1991. In addition, we r eviewed 140 cases reported in the Japanese literature since the last m ajor review in 1974. The results of our study revealed that the clinic al course of malignant melanoma in the oral region is worse than oral squamous cell carcinoma and that treatment by radiotherapy is effectiv e in prolonging the life of these patients. Clinically, the tumors wer e classified into five types: (1) pigmented nodular type; (2) nonpigme nted nodular type; (3) pigmented macular type; (4) pigmented mixed typ e; and (5) nonpigmented mixed type. We suggest that oral malignant mel anoma might be different from cutaneous malignant melanoma and that ne w critera for diagnosis and therapy for oral disease should be conside red.