Surgical Approach to Anorectal Melanoma with PET-CT Staging: A Case Report

Nilufer Bulut,Burcak Yılmaz,Sevinc Dagıstanlı,O Atay

doi:10.1055/s-0037-1608902

Abstract

Rectal hemorrhage should be evaluated within a wide spectrum ranging from benign diseases to a malignant process. Especially, the melanomas of rectum are detected at an advanced stage when diagnosed since the present symptoms of rectal melanomas are similar. The question of what will be the surgical approach with MR, CT, and PET-CT imaging methods performed after histopathological diagnosis still conserves its topicality. PET-CT is a good imaging method for determination of distant metastasis and lymphatic involvement. In the present case, a patient with early-stage rectal melanoma was treated with APR. No relapse/metastasis was detected during the 18-month follow-up. The aggressive course of the disease and its low response rates to medical treatments may cause the surgical approaches to be more extensive.

Highlights

Rectal hemorrhage should be evaluated within a wide spectrum ranging from benign diseases to a malignant process
The question of what will be the surgical approach with MR, computed tomography (CT), and Positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) imaging methods performed after histopathological diagnosis still conserves its topicality
A patient with early-stage rectal melanoma was treated with abdominoperineal resection (APR)

Summary

Introduction

Rectal hemorrhage should be evaluated within a wide spectrum ranging from benign diseases to a malignant process. A patient with early-stage rectal melanoma was treated with APR. Anorectal melanomas are infrequent cancers accounting for 0.05 to 2% of all colorectal cancers.[1] Due to lack of a specific symptom, this type of cancer can be misdiagnosed as a benign lesion of colorectal in patients with rectal bleeding.

Results

Conclusion