Recurrent Oral Melanoma: A Case Report and Challenges in Management in Poor Resource Economy

Olufemi O Ariyibi¹, Olufemi K Ogundipe² and Babatunde M Duduyemi^3,

¹Department of Pathology, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria

²Department of Dental Services, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria

³Department of Pathology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Cite this paper

Olufemi O Ariyibi, Olufemi K Ogundipe and Babatunde M Duduyemi. Recurrent Oral Melanoma: A Case Report and Challenges in Management in Poor Resource Economy. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2015; 3(9):282-285. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-3-9-5

Abstract

Oral melanoma is a rare aggressive neoplasm which accounts for only 0.2-8% of all reported malignant melanomas. The common sites of its occurrence are the palate and gingiva with the maxillary arch being affected 80% of the time. Because of their presence at relatively obscure areas in the oral cavity, most of the malignant melanomas of the oral cavity are diagnosed at a late stage. We report a case of oral melanoma in a 55-year-old post-menopausal woman who had surgical excision followed by chemo-radiation but suffered recurrence. The challenges of management and the poor prognosis of the case are emphasized in this case report.

Keywords

oral melanoma, recurrence, palate, gingiva, management challenges

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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