title: Gastrointestinal bleeding as presentation of small bowel metastases of malignant melanoma: Is surgery a good choice?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanoma shows a particular predilection in involving small intestine both in a single site and in multiple localization and acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleedings are often the first sign of tumour.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report two cases of GI metastases of malignant melanoma, one presented with only a big mass that cause intestinal obstruction and the other with a tumour spread throughout the small intestine that produce enterorrhagia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis and follow-up are very difficult: CT scan, PET-CT scan and capsule endoscopy should be complementary for the assessment of patients with GI symptoms and melanoma history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  What is the role of surgery? Several studies suggest metastasectomy to achieve both R0 results and palliative resolutions of acute symptoms, such as obstruction, pain, and bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bari, Unità Operativa di Chirurgia Generale "G. Marinaccio", Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 1, 70124 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: angelicaloco@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conversano
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bari, Unità Operativa di Chirurgia Generale "G. Marinaccio", Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 1, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macina
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bari, Unità Operativa di Chirurgia Generale "G. Marinaccio", Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 1, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Indellicato
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bari, Unità Operativa di Chirurgia Generale "G. Marinaccio", Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 1, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lacavalla
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Bari, Unità Operativa di Chirurgia Generale "G. Marinaccio", Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Bari, Piazza G. Cesare 1, 70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Abbicco
keywords: Capsule endoscopy; Gastrointestinal bleeding; Melanoma metastasis; Small intestine surgery