Background:
Oral mucosal malignant melanoma (OMMM) arises from malignant melanocytes, and the most affected age, sex, and site are 20 to 83 years, male, and the mucosa of hard palate and maxillary gingiva, respectively. Despite several cases of OMMM have been published in the literature, cases of malignant melanoma arising around the dental implant are rarely reported.
Case Summary:
A 59-year-old male was admitted to our Department with the complain of gingival black pigmentations following dental implant treatment for 3 years. Intraoral examination revealed a painless black lobulated mass around maxillary gingiva and alveolar fossa of dental implant (first molar). CBCT revealed bone destruction around the implant. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography confirmed the presence of tumoral lesion, which was diagnosed as right maxillary gingiva malignant melanoma (T4aN0M0). Partial maxillectomy+buccal fat pad transfer+free tissue patch repair were carried out. Pathologic analyses confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. The postoperative course was uneventfully, the patient is undergoing follow-up without any evidence of recurrence.
Conclusion:
Our report showed that an ill-fitting dental implant may cause OMMM. Excisional biopsy with sufficient surgical margins allows complete removal and final diagnosis of OMMM. Early diagnosis and treatment are recommended.