title: Primary malignant melanoma of left lower lobe of lung: A case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Primary malignant melanoma (MM) of the lung is relatively rare, and no more than 40 cases have been reported in English literature. Here, we present a case of primary MM of the lung in a 60-year-old healthy asymptomatic male, detected following the observation of an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. Following computed tomography and bronchoscopy examinations, the patient underwent pneumonectomy. A diagnosis of melanoma was confirmed postoperatively following immunohistochemistry. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy postoperatively for 6 months, and is living disease-free 18 months after the surgery without any major complaints. In conclusion, primary melanoma of the lung represents a rare pathological entity. The final diagnosis of a primary MM of the lung is based on clinical, radiological and pathological findings. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of the treatment and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy may offer the possibility of long-time survival for certain patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiangwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jiajun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DU
keywords: lung; primary malignant melanoma; surgical resection