World Journal of Surgical Oncology (Aug 2009)

Diffuse anorectal melanoma; review of the current diagnostic and treatment aspects based on a case report

  • Paraskeva Panorea P,
  • Fountzilas Christos K,
  • Misiakos Evangelos P,
  • Spyropoulos Basileios G,
  • Stoidis Christos N,
  • Fotiadis Constantine I

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-7-64
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
p. 64

Abstract

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Abstract Primary anorectal melanoma is a rare and aggressive disease. Patients commonly complain for changes in bowel habits and rectal bleeding, and proctoscopically they mostly appear as non pigmented or lightly pigmented polypoid lesions. Such a lesion should always raise a high index of suspicion in any gastroenterologist or surgeon to prompt surgery, since early radical excision is the only treatment option. Herein, we report a case of a 57-year-old man with a diffuse anal canal melanoma and give reference to the current diagnostic and treatment options.