The presence of metastatic melanoma in the small intestine is associated with a poor prognosis: a report of two cases

Introduction: Malignant melanoma is a neoplasm arising from the melanocyte cells of the skin. Of all cancers diagnosed in Poland in 2009, it was the twelfth most-common cancer in men and the fourteenth in women. However, this type of cancer is characterized by a quick development of metastases and a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in health sciences 2013-06, Vol.3 (1), p.148
Main Authors: Niewiarowska, K, Pryczynicz, A, Malla, H, Luba, M, Dadan, J, Kemona, A, Niksa, M, Famulski, W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Development and progression
Health aspects
Melanoma
Prognosis
Risk factors
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Summary:Introduction: Malignant melanoma is a neoplasm arising from the melanocyte cells of the skin. Of all cancers diagnosed in Poland in 2009, it was the twelfth most-common cancer in men and the fourteenth in women. However, this type of cancer is characterized by a quick development of metastases and a high mortality rate. Melanoma usually metastasizes to the lymph nodes, then infiltrates the lungs, brain, liver, bones, and gastrointestinal tract, for example, the small intestine. Purpose: To present two cases of metastatic melanoma with a poor prognosis involving the small intestine. Case presentation: In the first case, a 50-year-old male patient with abdominal pain and distension was admitted to hospital and qualified for surgical treatment. The second case, a 45-year-old male patient, presented with severe abdominal pain and sudden obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. Both patients had previous medical histories of malignant melanoma found on the skin of the subscapular area. The pathomorphological reports confirmed metastatic melanoma of the small bowel. The patients underwent partial resection of the small bowel with end-to-end anastomosis. Conclusion: Patients with metastatic melanoma originating from the small intestine had a poor prognosis. Due to the difficult diagnostic control of melanoma that develops on the skin and insufficient therapy for advanced stage cancer, we should develop early diagnostics for cutaneous melanoma through cancer prevention education in the population. Key words: metastatic melanoma, small intestine, gastrointestinal tract
ISSN:2083-1617
2083-6260