Primary malignant melanoma of maxillary gingiva--a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Dentists may encounter pigmented lesions in routine clinical practice. In most cases, the lesions are asymptomatic and benign in nature; however, rarely, a pigmented lesion can be a sign of malignancy. We report a case of malignant melanoma of the maxillary gingiva to highlight the importance of biopsy and periodic follow-up of patients with unusual focal pigmented lesions in the oral cavity.