Long-term survival of metastatic melanoma to the ileum with evidence of primary cutaneous disease after 15 years of follow-up: a case report.
The small bowel is the most common site of gastrointestinal metastasis from cutaneous melanoma. Malignant melanoma has a poor prognosis, especially if distant metastases appear. Although rare primary melanoma of the small bowel has been described, more frequently these lesions originate from unknown cutaneous melanoma. Here we report the case of a 58-year-old man with a diagnosis of melanoma of the ileum without evidence of primary cutaneous disease. After 15 years, during the clinical and radiological follow-up, a cutaneous melanoma in the left parietal side of the scalp, probably corresponding to the primary lesion with abdominal node metastasis, was diagnosed. After 6 months of chemotherapy with fotemustine, the patient showed a complete response. At present, he is still alive 18 years after the diagnosis of intestinal metastasis.
Division of Medical Oncology "S. Maria Goretti" Hospital, Latina, Italy. venerinasciacca@libero.it
Venerina
V
Sciacca
A Alida
AA
Ciorra
Concetta
C
Di Fonzo
Rosalinda
R
Rossi
Giorgio
G
Pistillucci
Antonio
A
Lugini
Modesto
M
D'Aprile
D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed