title: Primary small bowel melanoma. A case report and a review of the literature.
abstract: Primary malignant melanoma originating from the small intestine is extremely rare. Only a limited number of cases are described in the literature. Most commonly small intestine is affected by metastatic tumors from other primary lesions. We present a case of a 68-years old male diagnosed with primary malignant melanoma as an ulcerated and bleeding mass in the jejunum--located 40 cm away from the Treitz band. In our case the diagnosis was confirmed at laparotomy and enterectomy. Histology revealed a neoplastic infiltration involving the entire intestinal mucosa, with atypia of neoplastic cells and immunoreactivity to HMB45(+), Melan A(+) and S100(+), confirming the diagnosis of melanoma. There was not revealed a primary lesion in the skin, eye, anus, rectum or in other location by the post-operative investigation. An eleven-month close follow-up has not revealed any metastasis. Therefore a definitive diagnosis of primary malignant melanoma was set.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Spiridakis
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Polichronaki
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Sfakianakis
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Flamourakis
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Margetousakis
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Xekalou
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lianeris
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Giannikaki
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Christodoulakis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome