Metastatic Malignant Melanoma Presenting as Small Bowel Obstruction: A Report of a Case

Umobong EO¹, Ojo BA^2, , Aghahowa ME³, Etim O³, Ngbea J², Ugwu VI⁴, Eke BA⁵, Nyaga T⁶, DUDUYEMI BM⁷ and Jumbo GTA⁸

¹Consultant Histopathologist, Department of Laboratory Medicine, State House Medical Centre, Abuja, Nigeria

²Senior Lecturer/Consultant Anatomic Pathologist, Department of Anatomical Pathology, College of Health-Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria

³Consultant Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria

⁴Consultant Histopathologist, Department of Histopathology, National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu, Nigeria

⁵Consultant Surgeon/Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery, College of Health-Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria

⁶Resident, Department of Histopathology, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria

⁷Lecturer/Consultant Anatomic Pathologist, Department of Pathology, Kwane Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

⁸Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria

Cite this paper

Umobong EO, Ojo BA, Aghahowa ME, Etim O, Ngbea J, Ugwu VI, Eke BA, Nyaga T, DUDUYEMI BM and Jumbo GTA. Metastatic Malignant Melanoma Presenting as Small Bowel Obstruction: A Report of a Case. American Journal of Clinical Medicine Research. 2014; 2(4):72-74. doi: 10.12691/AJCMR-2-4-2

Abstract

Small intestinal metastasis of any malignancy is rare. Cutaneous or ocular malignant melanomas are the most common tumors that metastasize to gastrointestinal tract. Patient often present several years after the initial evaluation and treatment for a previous cutaneous malignant melanoma with intestinal obstruction symptoms. Rarely, small bowel melanomas occur with clinical picture of acute abdomen due to perforation. We present a 68 year old female patient with a 4 month history of recurrent colicky abdominal pain, distention, vomiting associated with weight loss and passage of small pellet stool. Imaging studies using abdominal ultrasound and CT scan revealed a large lobulated hypo echoic mass between the gastric antrum and pancreas. She had an exploratory laparatomy for bowel obstruction. Surgical pathology of the excised mass with resected obstructed jejunum revealed a metastatic malignant melanoma. Reported cases of metastatic small bowel melanoma are becoming increasingly common and should be considered in patients with a previous history of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma.

Keywords

malignant melanoma, metastasis, obstruction

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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