Rectal melanoma presenting as a solitary complex cystic liver lesion: role of contrast-specific low-MI real-time ultrasound imaging.
Cystic hepatic metastases arising from malignant melanoma are extremely rare, with the few such cases reported in the literature to date describing indeterminate imaging findings, being focused more on computed tomography. To the best of our knowledge, there is no prior report describing contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings of a solitary cystic liver metastasis from a primary rectal melanoma. We herein describe a case of a 41-year-old patient with a rectal melanoma, in whom the first manifestation of disease was a solitary complex cystic liver metastasis incidentally detected by ultrasound. On admission, our patient was free of specific symptoms and his laboratory test was normal. In this setting, contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed some distinctive features that helped us to make the correct diagnosis, confirmed subsequently by FNAC examination, thus allowing to provide the correct management for our patient. Although cystic metastases are rare, knowledge of CEUS imaging findings will be invaluable for radiologists and other medical subspecialties that may face such cases in the future in helping to provide adequate management for affected patients.
Department of Advanced Medical Biosciences, University Federico II of Napoli (UNINA), Biostructures and Bioimages Institution (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy ; Department of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Pascale Foundation, via M. Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy ; Via B. Croce n. 82, 81033 Naples, Italy.
Antonio
A
Corvino
Department of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Pascale Foundation, via M. Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Orlando
O
Catalano
Department of Advanced Medical Biosciences, University Federico II of Napoli (UNINA), Biostructures and Bioimages Institution (IBB), National Research Council (CNR), via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Fabio
F
Corvino
Department of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Pascale Foundation, via M. Semmola, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Antonella
A
Petrillo
D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media
Complex cystic focal liver lesions; Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Microbubbles; Rectal melanoma; Sonovue