Primary Mucosal Melanoma Presenting with a Unilateral Nasal Obstruction of the Left Inferior Turbinate

Abstract

We report the case of a primitive nasal melanoma in an 82-year-old patient, showing how this rare malignancy, with non-specific signs and symptoms, can represent a challenging diagnosis for the physician. A 82-year-old Caucasian patient presented for unilateral nasal obstruction and occasional epistaxis. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the facial massif revealed turbinate hypertrophy and a polypoid phlogistic tissue isointense in T1 with an intermediate signal in T2 and Short-TI Inversion Recovery (STIR)-T2, occupying the middle meatus and the anterior upper and lower left meatus with partial obliteration of the ostium and the infundibulum of the maxillary sinus. The Positron emission tomography (PET) exam was negative for metastases. Conservatory surgery in the left anterior video rhinoscopy was performed, allowing a radical 4-cm tumor excision. Histology reported epithelioid cell melanoma, PanK−, CD45−, and PanMelanoma+. Adjuvant radiotherapy was suggested, even considering a complete resection as the result of surgery. No local or systemic relapse was noticed at the 2-month follow-up visit. Although mucosal melanoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis, early diagnosis allows a more conservative approach, with little surgical difficulty and no aesthetic effect. Our case raises awareness of the importance of early intervention even in those cases where the clinic symptoms and diagnostic images show uncertain severity.

Knocking out the Vitamin D Receptor Enhances Malignancy and Decreases Responsiveness to Vitamin D3 Hydroxyderivatives in Human Melanoma Cells

“…The VDR is expressed in almost all tissues and cells, including the skin. Colston et al [29] provided one of the first reports describing the presence of VDR outside of organs involved in calcium and phosphate homeostasis (intestines, kidneys and bone tissues), showing that the receptor is expressed in skin cell lines and in melanomas (malignant tumors originating from melanocytes) [30] and has anti-cancer properties. Subsequent experiments using human melanoma cell lines confirmed that the VDR is present in melanoma cells, although its expression level was heterogeneous between different cell lines [29].…”

Celecoxib as a Valuable Adjuvant in Cutaneous Melanoma Treated with Trametinib

“…This has urged the need for a better biological understanding of the melanoma microenvironment, while also forming the motivation for revolutionizing melanoma treatment in the last decade [ 5 , 6 ]. The gold standard treatment for this condition is surgery, followed by systemic chemo and immunotherapy in more advanced stages [ 7 ].…”

From Melanocytes to Melanoma Cells: Characterization of the Malignant Transformation by Four Distinctly Different Melanin Fluorescence Spectra (Review)

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