Background: Mucosal melanotic macule in oral cavity rarely occurs and must be differentiated from malignant melanoma, but clinicopathologic features of oral melanotic macule (OMM) are rarely studied.
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological features of OMM
Methods: The clinicopathological features (age, sex, anatomical site with mapping, and histopathological characteristics) of 39 patients with OMM were evaluated.
Results: Anatomic mapping showed that lower lip was the most common sites (34/39, 87.2%) and mucosal traumatic portion of canine teeth (border between outer and inner mucosa) was more common. Histopathologic features showed 37 lentigo, 2 lentigo with atypia. Normal epidermis, mild dermal inflammation with melanophages, and unprominent dendrites were revealed. Absence of pagetoid scatter, architectural disorder, melanocyte and keratinocyte atypia, mitoses were observed frequently. Pigmentation of basal retes showed more prominent on tip compared to between and side of retes.
Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of clinicopathologic features of OMM. Traumatic portion of canine teeth on outer mucosa of lower lip was the most common site. Lentigo was the most common histopathologic diagnosis.