[Surgical resection for gastrointestinal metastatic melanoma].
OBJECTIVE
Metastases of melanoma are frequent. On the gastro-intestinal tract, commonest localizations are small bowel, stomach and colon. Surgical treatment of digestive metastases from melanoma is not well known and its value is still debated.


METHODS
Medical records of 10 patients (six female and four male) operated for metastatic melanoma to gastro-intestinal tract were reviewed to determine results of surgery.


RESULTS
Gastro-intestinal metastases were symptomatic in eight patients (abdominal pain in three, bowel obstruction in three, abdominal mass and obstructive jaundice in one each). Two patients had anemia. Diagnosis has been suggested by imaging in seven patients and endoscopy in three. All patients were operated on by laparotomy for resection of metastases located on small bowel in four patients, gallbladder in two, stomach in two and colon in two. Complete resection suppressed symptoms in nine cases. In one patient, resection was incomplete but provided satisfying symptomatic relief. One patient died at day 3; in other patients, median survival was 18 months (range: 3-120).


CONCLUSIONS
In a patient with previous history of melanoma, digestive symptoms indicate morphological explorations due to suspicion of metastases to gastro-intestinal tract. Surgical treatment of these metastases is usually palliative but, in some cases, allows long-term survival.
Dequanter
D
D
Département de chirurgie, institut Jules Bordet, rue Héger-Bordet, 1, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgique. didier.dequanter@pandora.be
Sales
F
F
Legendre
H
H
Lothaire
P
P
Pector
J-C
JC
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D003082:Colectomy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome