Abstract
Melanomas affecting the small bowel are usually metastasis from primary cutaneous lesions. A primary melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract is very rare with reported incidence of just 3%. We present a case of small bowel melanoma with liver metastases. Primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine is quite rare with only a few cases reported in literature. Like its cutaneous counterpart, intestinal melanomas too remains an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. The overall survival of malignant melanoma affecting the GI tract is 4 to 6 months with a survival rate of less than 10% at 5 years.
Highlights
Malignant melanoma develops from melanocytes which are usually located in the skin, the eye’s choroid, the meninges, and the anal margin
Primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine is quite rare, only a handful of cases have been reported in literature
The origin primary melanoma of small intestine is because of the melanoblastic cells of the neural crest that migrate to the distal ileum through the omphalomesenteric canal There these cells differentiate by amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation (APUD), and can undergo neoplastic transformation in non-cutaneous site,[1] some authors still deny the existence of primary melanoma in the gastrointestinal tract
Summary
Malignant melanoma develops from melanocytes which are usually located in the skin, the eye’s choroid, the meninges, and the anal margin. Melanoma of the GI tract represents 1 to 3% of the digestive tract cancers.[1] Primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine is quite rare, only a handful of cases have been reported in literature. Intestinal melanoma too remains an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. We present a rare case report of a 48 year old man who presented with pain in abdomen and weight loss. He already had underwent an ultrasound of the abdomen which was suspicious of liver metastases, before being referred to our side for further management
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