Thin on the ground: Primary mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity

Mirza Rameez Samar, Sabrina Merchant, Nida E. Zehra, Romana Idrees, Saqib Raza Khan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Primary malignant melanoma of the head and neck region is an exceptionally unique neoplasm that accounts for 1 % of all mucosal melanomas diagnosed worldwide. Most patients are either symptomless or have vague symptoms. Case presentation: In this report, we describe the case of a young female, who presented at a tertiary care institute in Pakistan, with a history of recurrent ipsilateral mucosal neoplasm arising in the nasal cavity. The patient was treated with surgical resection twice and was subsequently found to have widespread metastatic lymph nodes on workup. Clinical discussion: Malignant mucosal melanoma seldom originates from the nasal cavity. Surgical resection is the best chance of cure for localized nasal melanomas whereas for metastatic disease, systemic therapy with either chemotherapy or biologic agents is the mainstay of management. Conclusion: Approximately 5 % of the cases of mucosal melanoma have metastatic disease at presentation. This report highlights the presentation, clinical characteristics, management, and prognosis of non-cutaneous melanoma, arising within the head and neck region.

Original languageEnglish
Article number108929
JournalInternational Journal of Surgery Case Reports
Volume111
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023

Keywords

  • Mucosal melanoma
  • Nasal cavity
  • Nodal metastasis
  • Recurrent disease
  • Surgical resection

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Thin on the ground: Primary mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this