Oral mucosal melanoma: A systematic review of case reports and case series

Objectives

This study aims to analyze the cases of oral mucosal melanoma (OMM) published in the literature, describe their sociodemographic and clinical features, relate them to mortality and determine the survival rate.

Methods

Search of PubMed database was carried out for case reports and case series of OMM. The variables were demographic, clinical features, follow-up and survival.

Results

This systematic review identified 112 studies, comprising 167 cases; 93 males and 71 females. The mean age was 57.7 years. The most affected sites were maxillary gingiva and hard palate. The lesion was more frequently described as a black/ grey nodule, with an average size of 3.46 cm. In most cases there was associated symptomatology and radiographically evident bone destruction, but no involvement of lymph nodes or distant metastases. The most frequently implemented treatment was surgery. The survival rate at 3 and 5 years was 52.4% and 41.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

OMM is a rare neoplasm with a poor prognosis. In most cases, the lesion was identified by the patient, and the diagnosis is made at a late stage of its development. Elementary nodular lesion, involvement of lymph nodes and the presence of distant metastases are associated with a lower survival rate.