DESMOPLASTIC MALIGNANT-MELANOMA OF THE GINGIVA - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

A rare case of desmoplastic melanoma arising from the maxillary gingiv a of a 66-year-old woman is reported. This tumour metastasised to the submandibular lymph node 5 years after extirpation, and local recurren ce was observed 2 years later. The gingival tumour showed the histopat hological characteristics of desmoplastic melanoma and the metastasise d tumour cells were immunohistochemically positive for S-100 protein, neuron specific enolase, HMB-45 highly specific for conventional melan oma, and Fontana-Masson staining. The gingival tumour, originally rega rded as benign clinically, was actually a desmoplastic melanoma. Copyr ight (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd