ORAL MELANOMA - CASE-REPORTS AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Oral melanomas occur most often on the palate and gingiva with the max illary arch affected 80% of the time. Melanosis may exist many years b efore a definitive biopsy. tong-standing lesions may ulcerate but lack rolled borders or induration, features commonly associated with squam ous cell carcinoma. Melanoma that involves oral mucosa is rare with an extremely poor prognosis. Surgical management remains the preferred t reatment in combination with chemotherapy. irradiation therapy is used occasionally as a primary modality in the elderly and medically compr omised patients. Lymph node dissection is not routinely practiced. The poor prognosis oi oral melanomas requires that pigmented lesions of u ndetermined origin be routinely biopsied.