Primary malignant melanoma of the stomach: report of a case

Abstract

We report a case of primary malignant melanoma (MM) of the stomach. The patient, a 73-year-old man, was referred to our hospital for investigation of an elevated lesion in the stomach, detected by gastroscopy. On admission, physical examinations and laboratory data were unremarkable. Gastroscopy revealed a pigmented, elevated tumor, approximately 2 cm in diameter, in the posterior wall of the stomach. A biopsy was taken, which resulted in a diagnosis of MM, based on the presence of melanin in tumor cells. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed no accumulation of tracer except for the tumor in the stomach, indicating that it was a primary MM of the stomach. The patient underwent distal gastrectomy, but died of recurrence 1 year later. Very few cases of primary MM of the stomach have been reported. Thus, we report this case, followed by a review of the literature.

Malignant melanoma of the stomach in an elderly patient

“…Early-stage gastric melanomas can be successfully treated with gastrectomy without any adjuvant therapy (6). Adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy should be considered for patients with lymph node involvement to prevent early disease recurrence (7). Patients with advanced disease probably will not derive any benefit from systemic chemotherapy, as in our case.…”

Preliminary Results on Clinicopathological and Immunohistochemical Features of Malignant Melanomas

“…In the light of our results, which showed a slight predominance of females compared to males (M:F = 1:1.2) and the predominance of lower limb cutaneous PMs in females, and trunk PMs in males, respectively, there are authors who revealed the importance of sunlight exposure in the pathogensis of PMs of the skin [12]. Apart from the skin and choroidal plexus, primary malignant melanomas are rare at the other sites, these being reported in the literature mainly as case presentations [3,5,7]. Th e prognosis of cutaneous PM depends on the microscopic type of tumor (nodular vs. superfi cial), Breslow index, presence of ulceration, the status of sentinel lymph nodes and tumor stage [9,[13][14][15][16].…”

“…In most of the cases, malignant melanomas (MMs) aff ect the skin, but they can be also located in the choroid, nasal cavity, gastrointestinal and even the urogenital tract [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Despite the newest targeted drugs, such as monoclonal BRAF-inhibitors, MM remains the most deadly malignant tumor of the skin, with an increasing incidence [8].…”

Assessing the Patient with Abdominal Obesity: Metabolic and Nutritional Factors

“…Our sample was a "young" one, fact that underlines the importance of searching for other risk factors in the presence of abdominal obesity. Multiple studies have addressed the issue of abdominal obesity, but there is still no consensus whether we should screen everybody for this condition or not [7,3].…”

“…Obesity is a well-recognized public health issue and there are world-wide intervention task-forces designed for its prevention and control [1]. In recent years, abdominal obesity has become the more concerning cardio-vascular risk factor to be taken into account and various studies were developed for better understanding of its pathophysiology [2,3]. Strategies designed for the management of this health problem have yet to be standardized.…”