Open AccessNasopharyngeal melanoma: An unusual entity
Author(s) -
Sobhna Mattoo,
Sheenam Azad,
Brijesh Thakur,
Seema Acharya
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology/journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.455
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1998-393X
pISSN - 0973-029X
DOI - 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_63_20
Subject(s) - immunohistochemistry , submucosa , incidence (geometry) , melanoma , medicine , pathology , dermatology , mucosal melanoma , histopathological examination , cancer research , physics , optics
Nasopharyngeal melanoma is a rare condition with an estimated incidence of about 0.3/10 lac per year and has a slight female predominance. It can arise from stem melanocytes and mature melanocytes of the submucosa that have acquired genetic alterations, may be due to tobacco, trauma and oxidative stress. It resembles other common polypoidal lesions; therefore, histopathological examination with immunohistochemistry plays a pivotal role in confirming the diagnosis. Lack of specific clinical features often leads to a delay in diagnosis.