Small Bowel Intussusception Due To Melanoma Metastasis – a clinical case

Abstract

Melanoma is the most common extra-abdominal source of small bowel metastases. Generally, patients either present with symptoms of obstruction, particularly intussusception, or bleeding. Those cases in which no primary cutaneous lesion has been identified are of greatest controversy surrounding small bowel melanoma and regard the validity of classifying them as primary malignant melanomas.

The authors present the clinical case of a female patient, 47 year -old, submitted to exploratory laparotomy in the context of intestinal occlusion. Intraoperatively we found numerous pigmented lesions in the small bowel (some of them causing intussusception), cecum, tranverse colon and left ovary. Patient underwent right hemicolectomy, left adnexectomy and excisional biopsy of an ileum lesion. Anatomopathological findings showed metastases of malignant melanoma.

Keywords: Intestinal Melanoma – Intussusception – Surgical Treatment