MAGNETIC-RESONANCE FEATURES OF METASTATIC MELANOMA OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT AND MANDIBLE

We report a case of histologically verified melanoma of the nose which presented 2 years after initial radiotherapy with left temporomandibu lar pain, dysfunction and dental sepsis. Conventional radiography reve aled a partially dentate mandible with a destructive lesion involving the left condyle, an ill-defined lesion in the right retromolar region and chronic inflammatory apical root lesions. Since MRI of the nose w as done at the initial presentation, it was postulated that MRI could be used to characterize the destructive jaw lesions. The MR features w ere similar to the original nasal lesion and accepted as proof of diag nosis of metastatic melanoma. A literature review reveals only 37 prev ious cases of metastasis to the temporomandibular joint with none of i nvolvement by melanoma. The role of MRI in the diagnosis of this lesio n is also described for the first time. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd for IADMFR.