Primary malignant melanoma arising in the dorsum of the tongue

We present the case of a 53-year-old White man with primary malignant melanoma of the dorsum of the tongue that arose in an area of widespread diffuse pigmentation. He was treated by wide excision and insertion of iridium pins (65 Gy over 5 days). Ten months later he developed metastases that were treated by palliative irradiation.