Table 2 Presenting symptoms and initial diagnostic work-up
From: Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck: a population-based study from Slovenia, 1985-2013
Presenting symptoms | No. of patients (%) |
|---|---|
Epistaxis | 20 (33) |
Evident mass or swelling | 18 (30) |
Nasal obstruction | 17 (28) |
Pain | 3 (4.9) |
Regional non-nasal bleeding | 2 (3.3) |
Hearing impairment | 2 (3.3) |
Headache | 1 (1.6) |
Dysphagia | 1 (1.6) |
Signs of metastatic disease | 1 (1.6) |
No symptoms reported | 17 (28) |
Duration of symptoms (months) | |
Range | 0.0–12.0 |
Median | 2.0 |
Diagnostic work-up | |
Local tumor extension | |
CT | 31 (51) |
Endoscopy | 19 (31) |
MRI | 5 (8.2) |
Sinus X-ray | 5 (8.2) |
Clinical examination only | 16 (26) |
Regional node involvement | |
US | 31 (51) |
CT | 2 (3.3) |
MRI | 1 (1.6) |
Clinical examination only | 29 (48) |
Distant metastatic spread | |
Chest X-ray | 45 (74) |
Abdominal US | 31 (51) |
Bone scan | 4 (6.6) |
Thoracic CT | 3 (4.9) |
PET-CT | 3 (4.9) |
Head CT | 1 (1.6) |
Clinical examination only | 12 (20) |