title: Primary melanoma of the adrenal gland, a continuous dilemma: report of a case.
abstract: The adrenal gland can frequently be the site of metastatic deposits, including malignant melanocytic tumors; however, primary melanoma of the adrenal gland is exceptional. We reviewed 18 cases reported in the English literature to date, and here add another case which occurred in a 78-year-old man. The patient underwent right suprarenalectomy and the pathology report showed a malignant melanoma of the adrenal gland. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a positive antibody-specific cytoplasmic reactivity to S-100 and HMB-45 proteins with a negative reaction for cytokeratin (AE1, AE3), synaptophysin, chromogranin and neuron-specific enolase. There are diagnostic criteria for accepting an adrenal melanoma as primary; however, an autopsy is the final step to confirm this infrequent pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, 69495 Pierre Benite Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Lucas Esteban
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Granero
authors.forename: Taha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Al-Lawati
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Bobin
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*