Background and Objectives: Mucosal melanomas of head and neck are rare and show poor prognosis. Present study was undertaken to compare clinical features, treatment, recurrence and survival rates in the primary sites of head and neck
mucosal
melanoma. Materials and Methods: From 1983 to 1992, 19 patients with malignant melanoma of the mucosal membrane of the head and neck were presented and treated at Kyungpook National University hospital. Results: There were 12 males
and 7
females with an average age of 50.7 years. Ten patients presented tumors in the oral cavity, six patients in nasal cavity and paranasal sinus, and three patients in laryngopharynx. The average duration of symptoms was 20.0 months in nasal sites
and
3.7
months in oral sites. Seventeen patients were treated by surgery or combined surgery and radiotherapy(5 nasal melanomas, 9 oral melanomas, 3 laryngopharyngeal melanomas). Fifteen patients developed tumor recurrence, except for two patients with
oral
melanoma who were alive without disease. There were local recurrences in all five patients with nasal melanoma, and in two of seven patients with oral melanoma. However, there were regional recurrences or distant metastases without local
recurrence
in
five of seven patients with oral melanoma, and in all three patients with laryngopharyngeal melanoma. 3YSR was 40.3%, with 50.0% in nasal melanomas and 24.0% in oral melanomas. 5-YSR was 17.2, with 16.7% in nasal melanomas and 12.0% in oral
melanomas.
Conclusion: The major factors in the failure of treatment were regional recurrence and distant metastasis in oral melanoma, but local recurrence in nasal melanoma. Patients with nasal melanoma showed higher survival rates than those with
oral
melanom, although there was no statistical difference in the survival rates.
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