Metastatic melanoma of the small bowel. Report of a case and review of literature

Abstract

AIM: Malignant melanoma incidence is rapidly growing worldwide. The small bowel is well known to be a preferred site for melanoma metastases. In 60% of patients who died of disseminated melanoma, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was affected, but only 1% to 4% of GI metastases were clinically diagnosed ante mortem.

CASE REPORT: In this case we describe a report of a 71 years old male admitted to the hospital with a combination of two possible complications of GI metastatic melanoma: obstruction and GI bleeding. Past medical history reveals a malignant cutaneous melanoma excised 5 years before.

DISCUSSION: Symptoms of small bowel involvement are frequently unspecific which leads to a late diagnosis often made only after complications, such as intestinal obstruction, massive gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation. In most cases, the diagnosis of melanoma metastasis was made only after surgery, which proved to be life-saving. We have searched literature for these complications and their relative treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Modern imaging techniques are recommended in order to obtain an early diagnosis. Surgical resection is the only treatment in patients with resectable metastatic intestinal melanoma.