Oral Malignant Melanoma – A Review

Pigmented areas in the oral cavity are often considered physiological but a practicing dentist must be aware of pigmentation secondary to oral melanoma which is rare, but life threatening. Melanoma represents one of the most life threatening cancers known. The etiology of oral melanoma is still unknown. Lesions are irregular and asymmetric, and commonly involve palate, gingiva, tongue, buccal mucosa and lips. Patients presents with rapidly spreading discoloration of the oral mucosa. A thorough oral examination and high index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis. Histopathology holds the key in discrimination of melanoma from lesions mimicking this disease. Prognosis of oral melanoma is comparatively poor and so an early diagnosis and follow-up is critical. This review aims to revisit this important disease.