Primary malignant melanoma of the vermilion of the lower lip

Abstract. A 30-year-old man with primary nodular, rapidly growing malignant melanoma of the vermilion of the lower lip is described. The tumor was excised with wide tumor-free margins and an Abbe-Estlander reconstruction was carried out. The literature on oral melanomas has also been reviewed with special attention given to melanoma of the lip which is extremely rare (31 reported cases). This case is highly unusual in two respects: (1) the melanoma was a nodular type, level 5, while nearly all melanomas reported previously have been superficial with slow radial growth; (2) it was a small lesion arising on the vermilion and not an extension from the cutaneous junction or oral mucosa.