The Maxillofacial Center for Diagtnostics & Research

The Maxillofacial Book of Lists

Table 86: Oral Melanosis

Diseases Associated With Oral Melanosis	Comment
Oral melanotic macule (oral freckle)	Usually no systemic associations
Labial melanotic macule	May be associated with sunlight and Asian genetics
Smoker's melanosis	From smoking, not chewing; may have superimposed leukoplakia
Addison's disease	Elevated levels of corticosteroid stimulating hormone, and MSH?
Drug-induced melanosis	Click name in left column for a listing of specific drugs
AIDS (HIV)	associated with adrenal supression from drugs, infections, etc.
Lung carcinoma	especially on palate
Puetz-Jehger's syndrome	Orofacial melanotic macules, intestinal polyps (with little malignant potential)
Secondary melanosis	Associated with chronic erosive/ulcerative mucositis (l.p., etc.)
Pigmented fibroma	Melanosis of surface of routine irritation fibroma
Racial/Physiologic pigmentation	Especially on gingiva
Carney syndrome	Macular cutaneous & mucosal pigmentation, myxoma and endocrine neoplasia syndrome (NAME syndrome, LAMB syndrome)
LEOPARD syndrome	Multiple lentigines syndrome; Lentigines-Electrocardiographic abnormalities-Ocular hypertelorism-Pulmonic stenosis-Abnormal genitalia-Retardation of growth-sensorineural Deafness
vonRecklinghausen's neurofibromatosis	neurofibromas, cafe-au-lait spots on skin
McCune-Albright syndrome
Cronkhite-Canada syndrome

Table 86b: Drug-Induced Oral Melanosis

[ Back to Main Table 86: Oral Melanosis ]