Malignant Melanoma of the Sinonasal Mucosa: Two Case Reports and a Review

Abstract

Malignant melanoma of the sinonasal cavity is an uncommon disease, and therefore a limited amount of data exists regarding its optimal treatment. The course of the disease is highly variable. Individual survival is also highly variable, but the overall prognosis is poor, probably because patients generally present at a late stage and because the disease has a proclivity for distant dissemination. We describe 2 recent cases of primary malignant melanoma of the sinonasal mucosa, and we review the literature.

Malignant melanoma of the nasal mucosa

“…In the nostril's passages, suspicious sinuses are more prominent than those affected, & the maxillary mesentery more often than the ethmoid sinus are concerned. Mental, vaginal, vaginal, ring, circle, oesophagus, mucosa, & leptomening (Sanderson and Gaylis, 2007). Clinical presentation depends on the site and size of abrasion.…”

“…Nasal blockages, epistaxis, in lammation of the face, vestibule mass, epiphoras, proptosis & diplopia are all causing signs. (Sanderson and Gaylis, 2007). Nose bleeding & blockage are 2 signs of this disease that are found in majority of the patients (Dwivedi et al, 2008;Dauer et al, 2008).…”

Sinonasal malignant melanoma with diffuse carcinomatosis: initial PET/CT staging and follow-up CT/MR imaging

“…The metastatic status is the most important factor for prognosis and outcome of the disease [ 1 ]. Additional prognostic factors include patient's age, mitotic characteristics of the melanoma, tumor thickness, involvement of the nasopharynx, nasal obstruction, vascular invasion and tumor recurrence [ 1 , 6 , 7 ]. SMM is a very aggressive malignancy with 5-year and 10-year survival rates ranging from 10 to 47% and 20 to 24.3% respectively [ 6 ].…”

“…Additional prognostic factors include patient's age, mitotic characteristics of the melanoma, tumor thickness, involvement of the nasopharynx, nasal obstruction, vascular invasion and tumor recurrence [ 1 , 6 , 7 ]. SMM is a very aggressive malignancy with 5-year and 10-year survival rates ranging from 10 to 47% and 20 to 24.3% respectively [ 6 ]. CT and MR are the main imaging modalities for detailed anatomic evaluation of local tumor involvement [ 2 ].…”

“…Post-operative radiation therapy may have limited positive impact on the survival rate [ 13 , 14 ]. Chemo-immunotherapy still needs clinical validation [ 6 ].…”