Metastatic melanoma of the major salivary glands - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND

Metastatic melanoma of the major salivary gland has been rarely reported in the literature. Thus, the aim of this study was to integrate all data about the clinical, sociodemographic, histopathological, treatment, and follow-up characteristics of metastatic melanoma of the major salivary glands.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Electronic searches were performed in five databases and the grey literature according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020. Case reports or case series describing metastatic melanoma of the major salivary gland without language or year of publication restriction were included.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies reporting 47 cases of metastatic melanoma were identified. The mean patient age at diagnosis was 56.321.5 years, mainly occurring in men (70.2%). The site of the primary melanoma was mostly in the head and neck region (65%) and the parotid (93.6%) was the most affected major salivary gland by metastatic lesions. Parotidectomy was the main treatment choice. The overall 1- and 5-year survival rates were 79% and 45%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Metastatic melanoma of the major salivary gland is an uncommon phenomenon involving a poor prognosis.