title: Primary adrenal melanoma with inferior vena caval thrombus.
abstract: Primary adrenal melanoma is a rare tumor. Most lesions are confined to the adrenal gland, without extension to surrounding structures. We report a primary adrenal melanoma discovered during an evaluation for pulmonary embolism. Tumor thrombus was present in the inferior vena cava extending into the right atrium. A complete resection was obtained using cardiopulmonary bypass and profound hypothermic circulatory arrest. Long-term survival with melanoma is still limited, regardless of the organ of origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA. dva9001@nyp.org
authors.forename: Dimitrios V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Avgerinos
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazarian
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.forename: Leonard N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Girardi
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017131:Thrombectomy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery