Primary Laryngeal Malignant Melanoma: Report of a Case with Review of Literatures

후두에 원발한 악성 흑색종 1례

Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is a rare and usually lethal disease. Primary laryngeal malignant melanoma(LMM) are exceedingly rare tumors that morphologically are readily confused with more common types of laryngeal cancer. Treatment of choice for LMM is complete surgical excision and elective lymph node dissection is usually not recommended. The use of radiation or chemotherapy is generally thought to have no effect on local or distant disease and currently used as adjuvant therapy. The prognosis is extremely poor. We have experienced a 61 year old male patient with symptoms of foreign body and lump sense in throat. A dark pigmented polypoid mass was found on the right aryepiglottic folds with normal mobility of vocal cord. Total laryngectomy was performed under the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Bone scan revealed multiple bony metastasis on ribs and lumbar vertebrae after 5 months of operation. There have been no evidence of recurrence at primary area. The patient died after 8 months of operation.