Case report
Malignant melanoma of the stomach presenting in a woman: a case report
1 Department of Gastroenterology, Dicle University School of Medicine, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Dicle University School of Medicine, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey
3 Department of Family Medicine, Dicle University School of Medicine, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey
4 Department of Pathology, Dicle University School of Medicine 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey
Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011, 5:94 doi:10.1186/1752-1947-5-94
Published: 9 March 2011Abstract
Introduction
Malignant melanoma is reported to metastasize to all organs of the human body. Although it is common for it to metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract, a melanoma located primarily in the gastric mucosa is an uncommon tumor. Gastrointestinal metastases are rarely diagnosed before death with radiological and endoscopic techniques.
Case presentation
In this case report the clinical course and treatment of a woman with melanoma of the stomach, without any other detectable primary lesion, is presented and discussed. A 55-year-old Turkish woman presented to our clinic with complaints of muscle pain and bone pain in the left side of her chest. During an upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy, dark cherry-colored, light elevated, round-shaped lesions were taken from her gastric fundus and from the first part of her duodenum. Biopsies from these samples were determined to be malignant melanoma by the pathologist.
Conclusion
Metastatic malignant melanoma cases should be examined through endoscopy for gastrointestinal metastases.
