6533b7d6fe1ef96bd12665c5

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Intestinal melanoma: A broad spectrum of clinical presentation

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description

Abstract INTRODUCTION Small intestine melanomas are rare and the most of them are metastases from primary cutaneous neoplasms. PRESENTATION OF CASE Below, we report two cases of small intestine metastatic melanoma with very different clinical presentation. DISCUSSION Still now, primary versus metastatic origin is often unclear. Small bowel melanoma is often asymptomatic. However, clinical picture can be various; it may occurs with non specific symptoms and signs of gastro-intetstinal involvement, like chronic abdominal pain, occult or gross bleeding and weight loss, or with an emergency picture due to intestinal intussusception, obstruction or, rarely, perforation. CONCLUSION Small bowel melanoma is rare and the diagnosis done late. Imaging techniques are recommended in order to obtain early diagnosis of gastrointestinal metastases.