Case Report: Melanoma of the hard palate presenting initially with gastrointestinal symptoms: the diagnostic pivotal role of 18F-FDG PET/CT - Takeaways - MDSpire

Case Report: Melanoma of the hard palate presenting initially with gastrointestinal symptoms: the diagnostic pivotal role of 18F-FDG PET/CT

  • By

  • Guangyao Yang

  • Ya Li

  • Yin Zhao

  • Xianwen Hu

  • Dongfeng Pan

  • July 2, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Mucosal melanoma of the hard palate is a rare and aggressive malignancy, accounting for approximately 2% of all melanoma cases.

  • 2

    The patient presented with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, leading to a delayed diagnosis of hard palate melanoma with systemic metastases.

  • 3

    Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging revealed a hypermetabolic primary lesion in the hard palate and extensive metastases.

  • 4

    Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the diagnosis of oral melanoma with metastases to the liver and bones.

  • 5

    The case highlights the critical role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the early diagnosis and staging of rare malignancies like mucosal melanoma.

Original Source(s)

Case Report: Melanoma of the hard palate presenting initially with gastrointestinal symptoms: the diagnostic pivotal role of 18F-FDG PET/CT

  • by Guangyao Yang, Ya Li, Yin Zhao, Xianwen Hu, Dongfeng Pan

  • July 2, 2026

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