Malignant melanoma of the nose

Absract  Malignant Melanoma of the nose is a rare neoplasm, with primary mucosal melanoma being more aggressive than its cutaneous counterpart (Land,1982). The presentation is often not as dramatic as compared to its progression. While cutaneous melanomas typically present with obvious and consistent features, melanomas of the mucosal form are often diagonised late due to their hidden location and relatively non-specific features. This tumour can metasiasise by lymphasies or bloodsream. Moreover the tumour is often quite resistent to complete cure especially due to reccurence and metastotis. We wish to empahsize that early diagonisis with a high index of suspicion is essential for the management of this condition, by means of two case reports of patients who attended the ENT clinic at Southend Hospital, UK, both of whom were being treated for nasal polyposis in whom the diagonisis susbsequently turned out to be malignant melanoma.