Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity

Primary mucosal melanomas of the upper aero-digestive tract are uncommon and represent only 1.7 to 3 per cent of all primary melanomas. The most frequent localizations are the nasal fossae, the paranasal sinuses and the oral cavity where melanomas most often arise from the palate and alveolar ridge, buccal mucosa, lips, tongue and floor of mouth. The authors describe a case of malignant melanoma of the uvula, review the literature and discuss the aetiology, pathology and diagnostic and therapeutic problems.