[Rare case of an infiltration and invasion of a dental root by a mucosal melanoma of the oral cavity].

Malignant melanoma of the oral cavity is a rare disease with high lethality, rapid progression and frequently seen lymph node metastases. The clinical appearance of the mucosal melanoma is mostly irregular in shape and dark blue, brown or black in colour. During early stages the lesions are painless with a tendency to spontaneous bleeding. Mucosal melanoma shows expansive and infiltrative growth into neighbouring structures, with the result of bone destruction and loss of teeth. We present a case of a female patient with a primary mucosal melanoma. A local infiltration and invasion of a tooth could be seen. Although many publications deal with oral mucosal melanoma with local destruction of bone, there are no reports on an infiltration into dental roots. Aspects of this unusual infiltration of hard tissues are discussed.