Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity. A review of 105 cases

RIMARY malignant melanoma of the oral P cavity is an extremely rare tumor, but it may not be as uncommon as the number of reported cases would indicate. AfBeck8 reported an incidence of 0.4% among 317 cases of malignant melanoma; Baxter,l* 0.6% among 170 cases; Hobaek,'O 1.2% among 269 cases; and Adair.2 1.3% among 400 cases. The first case of primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity was reported by Webefl in 1859. New,62 in 1921, and Patterson>' in 1926, surveyed the literature and could collect only 24 cases to which each of them added a new case. Fuhs and Kumer,82 in 1929, and Lence,'* in 1937, could gather only 31 and 39 cases respectively. Baxter," in 194 1, discussed at length the clinical findings, histopathology, and treatment of 55 cases of this neoplasm published in the literature.