Immunohistochemical demonstration of S100 protein in malignant melanomas of the facial skin and oral cavity.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of S100 protein was performed in 56 cases of malignant melanoma of the facial skin and oral cavity. The depth of invasion was measured comparatively in HE sections and in sections stained for S100 protein. Comparison of measured melanoma invasion depth in S100- and HE-stained sections revealed a deeper invasion of the tumor in S100-stained slides than in slides stained routinely with HE according to Breslow's melanoma staging procedure. A reverse relationship between the intensity of immunohistochemical staining for S100 protein and survival rate was found in both melanomas of the facial skin and oral cavity. Although the presence of S100 protein has been demonstrated previously in skin melanomas, no similar investigations concerning the oral mucosa have been performed up to now.