title: Primary versus Metastatic Gastrointestinal Melanoma: A Rare Case and Review of Current Literature.
abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) melanomas are a rare diagnostic entity. Although there have been cases of melanomas solely in the GI tract, many debate their true origin: the gut versus a distant, undetected primary lesion that regressed known as melanoma of unknown primary. We present a case that involved diagnosing a GI melanoma and then backtracking to find a possible primary source. We review the most recent literature regarding possible etiologies of primary GI melanomas and how to differentiate whether it has a primary, metastatic, or unknown origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Malorie
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7552-3883
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Lebanon, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Pathology/Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Rashna
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4478-0988
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moss