Melanoma – Mucosal Melanoma

Mucosal Melanoma is a rare type of melanoma which occurs in the mucosa of the oral cavity, vulvar region, nasal mucosa or the anal area that I occasionally encounter in both my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology offices.  Mucosal Melanomas begin with a horizontal (radial) phase that is in situ and hasn’t become invasive.  However, due to the lack of visibility of this location Mucosal Melanomas are usually not detected at this early stage until they become more nodular and the patient notices a growth in the mouth or experiences bleeding from the melanoma.  The palate is the most common location to find a Mucosal Melanoma in the oral cavity.  Treatment of Mucosal Melanoma is wide excision as anatomically permitted and/or sentinel lymph node biopsy with lifelong skin surveillance by a board certified dermatologist.