Head and Neck Mucosal Melanoma

Cutaneous lesions of the nose

Skin diseases on the nose are seen in a variety of medical disciplines. Dermatologists, otorhinolaryngologists, general practitioners and general plastic and dermatologic surgeons are regularly consulted regarding cutaneous lesions on the nose. This article is the second part of a review series dealing with cutaneous lesions on the head and face, which are frequently seen in daily practice by a dermatologic surgeon. In this review, we focus on those skin diseases on the nose where surgery or laser therapy is considered a possible treatment option or that can be surgically evaluated.

Sinonasal mucosal melanomas

OBJECTIVES

Sinonasal mucosal melanomas account for approximately 1% of all melanomas. These tumors are particularly aggressive, with a recurrence rate between 37 and 54% and a 5-year survival rate between 20 and 46%. Metastases are frequent. The main objective of this study was to analyze all of our cases of sinonasal mucosal melanomas and determine any prognostic factors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All our cases of sinonasal mucosal melanoma over a period of 10 years were included. Ten cases were analyzed. The mean age was 71 years (range: 61-85 years) for seven women and three men. The clinical, radiological, anatomopathological, and surgical data as well as the characteristics of disease progression were analyzed. These data were compared to those reported in the literature.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 36.3 months (range: 2-96 months). The 5-year overall survival was 40%. Seven patients developed local recurrences after a mean follow-up of 16 months (range: 2-27 months) with associated metastases in three cases. Analysis of the prognostic factors showed that tumors classified as T1 and limited to the nasal fossae had a better prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Sinonasal mucosal melanomas are rare tumors with a high mortality rate. Treatment of these tumors requires extensive surgical treatment associated with external radiotherapy.

Noncutaneous malignant melanoma: a prognostic model from a retrospective multicenter study

Background

We performed multicenter study to define clinical characteristics of noncutaneous melanomas and to establish prognostic factors patients who received curative resection.

Methods

Of the 141 patients who were diagnosed of non-cutaneous melanoma at 4 institutions in Korea between June 1992 and May 2005, 129 (91.5%) satisfied the selection criteria.

Results

Of the 129 noncutaneous melanoma patients, 14 patients had ocular melanoma and 115 patients had mucosal melanoma. For mucosal melanoma, anorectum was the most common anatomic site (n = 39, 30.2%) which was followed by nasal cavity (n = 30, 23.3%), genitourinary (n = 21, 16.3%), oral cavity (n = 14, 10.9%), upper gastrointestinal tract (n = 6, 4.7%) and maxillary sinus (n = 5, 3.9%) in the order of frequency. With the median 64.5 (range 4.3-213.0) months follow-up, the median overall survival were 24.4 months (95% CI 13.2-35.5) for all patients, and 34.6 (95% CI 24.5-44.7) months for curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients. Adverse prognostic factors of survival for 87 curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients were complete resection (R1 resection margin), and age > 50 years. For 14 ocular melanoma, Survival outcome was much better than mucosal melanoma with 73.3% of 2 year OS and 51.2 months of median OS (P = .04).

Conclusion

Prognosis differed according to primary sites of noncutaneous melanoma. Based on our study, noncutaneous melanoma patients should be treated differently to improve survival outcome.

Free flap reconstruction for melanoma of the head and neck: indications and outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Occasionally, patients present with locally advanced melanoma of the head and neck involving deeper structures or with bulky local recurrence in regions with pre-existing surgical scars or previous irradiation. In these circumstances surgery may offer the only likely chance of local disease control and reconstruction of the ablation defect may require microvascular reconstruction. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether there was any evidence that adopting an aggressive surgical approach provided a survival benefit for these patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 16 patients from the Sydney Head & Neck Cancer Institute database was performed. A matched pair analysis using patients from the Sydney Melanoma Unit database comparing disease-specific survival was performed.

RESULTS

There were thirteen patients with cutaneous melanoma and three with mucosal melanoma. Thirteen patients (82%) required a bone resection and nine of these (70%) required skull base resections. Seven muscle flaps and nine fasciocutaneous flaps were performed. The free flap success rate was 94% (15/16). The overall survival was 69% and the disease free survival was 46% (median follow-up: 16 months). There was a 44% (71% v 27%) increase in stage-matched, disease-specific survival of the free flap group compared to the control group at three years (p=0.06: hazard ratio for death 0.26 (0.08-1.0)).

CONCLUSIONS

For carefully selected patients with locally advanced melanoma of the head and neck an aggressive surgical approach, including radical resection and reconstruction with free tissue transfer, may be indicated to provide disease control and short-term survival benefit.

[The epidemiology and clinical characteristics of malignant melanoma localized in nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses--analysis of 6 cases]

INTRODUCTION

The mucosal malignant melanoma (MM), represent a rare group of tumors (0.2%--8% of all MM), with predominant localization on the mucosal surface of head and neck region, where the localization on the mucosa of nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and oral cavity are the most common. The mucosal MM within the nose and paranasal sinuses represent approximately 4% of all malignant tumors in these localizations, affecting predominantly the age group over 60-es, equally in both sexes. The treatment of choice in mucosal MM is surgery followed by Rtg-therapy in cases of small or doubtful margins of resection. The prognosis of mucosal MM is poor with 8% to 30% of 5-years survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

6 cases of mucosal MM, selected from 72 of all MM in the head and neck region, diagnosed and treated from 2001 to 2007 in Dept. of ORL H&N Surgery, Holy Cross Cancer Center in Kielce.

RESULTS

In group of mucosal MM which was taken to analysis there was 5 female and 1 male patient, with range of age from 55 to 80 (mean--69.4) with following localization: nasal septum--2 cases; lateral wall of nasal cavity--2; and paranasal sinuses--2. In 1 case an extremely rare pathologic form of amelanotic MM was diagnosed. The surgical resection of tumor followed by Rtg-therapy was performer in 4 cases. In 1 case, the radical surgery was the only method of treatment, and in 1 case the palliative Rtg-therapy was only applied. Within the observation period (4-96 months) 3 patients died, all due to the fatal progression of the MM.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Mucosal MM localized in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, present a very rare, but highly diversified group of malignant tumors. (2) The surgery, followed by Rtg-therapy is still the treatment method of choice. (3) The prognosis of mucosal MM in the nose and paranasal sinuses is bad.

Cutaneous head and neck melanoma: the old and the new

The incidence rate of malignant melanoma has shown a rapid worldwide rise in recent years. The staging and management of head and neck melanoma presents some unique challenges. Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment, while sentinel node biopsy is the most accurate staging modality for regional disease. The complex regional anatomy and lymphovascular drainage of this region may account for the increased biologic aggressiveness and treatment challenges of this disease. Improved understanding of the radiobiology of melanoma has resulted in new adjuvant radiotherapy approaches, yielding improved control rates. The treatment outcomes of metastatic head and neck melanoma remain disappointing but important progress has been made in the understanding of melanoma biology.

Sinonasal melanoma: a clinicopathologic review of 61 cases

OBJECTIVE

To review the Mayo Clinic experience with sinonasal melanoma.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review (case series).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We identified 61 patients who had melanoma arising from the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, or both. All were treated at our institution from 1955 through 2003. Clinical and pathologic data were summarized, and survival curves were generated.

RESULTS

The most common symptoms at presentation were epistaxis and nasal congestion. The most common treatment was excision only (48%). The cancer-specific survival rate (ie, rate of death due to disease) was 48.9% and 22.1% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Median time between diagnosis and death due to disease was 19 months.

CONCLUSION

Sinonasal melanoma is a rare but devastating disease. Wide local excision is the treatment of choice, and some patients may benefit from postoperative radiotherapy. Local recurrence and distant metastasis are common. Improved survival depends on better systemic therapies.

Oral mucosal melanoma with unusual clinicopathologic features

Oral mucosal melanoma (OMM) is an extremely rare malignancy, accounting for < 0.5% of all melanomas and all oral malignancies. The rarity of OMM, the heterogeneity in clinical and histopathologic appearances, and the paucity of molecular and genetic studies to date have limited our knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of these cancers. A 39-year-old Hispanic male presented for evaluation of a large, pigmented, plaque-like and nodular growth of the maxillary gingival and palatal mucosa. On presentation, a presumptive clinical diagnosis of mucosal melanoma was made, which was confirmed by incisional biopsy with subsequent histopathologic evaluation. Macroscopically, the morphology and highly pigmented nature of the tumor was suggestive of a rarer subtype of melanoma known as animal-type melanoma, also referred to as pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma. However, microscopically, the tumor showed histopathologic features consistent with a high-grade acral (mucosal) lentiginous melanoma with overt cytomorphologic features of malignancy in addition to showing prominent pigment synthesis resembling animal-type melanoma. A detailed search of the literature did not identify a previous report of OMM with prominent pigment synthesis resembling animal-type melanoma. Identification of melanoma subtypes has specific implications for therapeutic approach, and thus their recognition is important to successful patient management.

What is the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of mucosal melanoma of the head and neck?

Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is a rare, poor prognosis tumour with a high tendency to recur locally and regionally after surgical resection. A number of centres have used radiotherapy to sterilize positive and close margins after non-radical surgery or to treat inoperable cases. The present article discusses the literature data to analyze the possible indications for radiotherapy in terms of patient selection and treatment strategy. In the majority of the available retrospective series, postoperative radiotherapy improves the local control of mucosal melanomas, but its effect on survival has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Radiobiological studies show a high heterogeneity in behaviour of irradiated melanoma cells and the clinical implications of this will be illustrated. In the future, a better understanding of the radiosensitivity of this rare tumour and the availability of new technical modalities might allow for a more profitable incorporation of radiotherapy into a multidisciplinary strategy.

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Oral Mucosa

PURPOSE

To present our experience on the epidemiology, clinical features, management, and survival of patients with oral malignant melanoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Records of patients with a histologic diagnosis of primary oral mucosal malignant melanoma seen over a 23-year period were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

There were 6 females and 2 males, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years; 4 cases in the maxilla, 2 in the mandible, 1 on the lower lip, and 1 on the buccal mucosa. Local recurrences developed in 2 patients who eventually died with clinical metastatic cervical nodal disease. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 16 years 3 months. Surgery was the only treatment available.

CONCLUSION

Primary oral mucosal melanoma is rare, with a 3 to 1 female to male ratio and an average age of 41.7 years at presentation. It is most common in the maxilla and has poor prognosis despite apparent adequate local surgical control.

Oral malignant melanoma: A review of the literature

Primary oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is a rare neoplasm, accounting for 0.5% of all oral malignancies. The etiology is unknown; tobacco use and chronic irritation may play some role. Clinically, OMM may mimick other pigmented lesions. A biopsy is required in order to establish the diagnosis. The reported risk of malignant cells spreading during invasive procedures and factors such as size of the lesion or anatomical limitations, may influence the diagnostic surgical procedure. Therapy of OMM is commonly based on surgical excision of the primary tumour, supplemented by radiotherapy, with chemotherapy and immunotherapy serving as adjuncts. Prognosis is poor, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 15%.

Malignant Melanoma of the Mucous Membranes of the Head and Neck: Three Case Reports

Primary malignant melanoma of the oronasal region is rare. When it does occur, it is difficult to manage, and the prognosis is not good. Early diagnosis and radical surgical management appear to offer the best hope of curing the disease. We report 3 new cases of malignant melanoma of the mucous membranes of the head and neck. Despite the generally poor outlook, 2 of these patients underwent excision of the tumor and remained disease-free 2 years later; the other patient refused surgery and was lost to follow-up.