Surgical treatment for recurrent tumors of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract

The purpose of this communication is to present a case of resection performed for local recurrent tumors of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME) and to review the relevant literature. The patient was a 54 year-old man who had received an intraabdominal esophagectomy with a total gastrectomy for primary malignant melanoma of the abdominal esophagus in another hospital, in November 1995. After the initial operation, he was treated as an outpatient. In August 1997, computed tomography and ultrasonography revealed recurrent tumors in the dorsal pancreatic lymph node and in the right adrenal gland. The recurrent tumor of the dorsal pancreas directly invaded the dorsal pancreas parenchyma and occluded the superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein, and the other metastatic tumor in the right adrenal gland existed in the absence of circumference invasion. Metastases of the PMME were confirmed in the dorsal pancreas, the superior mesenteric vein, splenic vein, and right adrenal gland, and were removed by a total pancreatectomy on October 7, 1997. By immunohistochemical staining, we found that the focal areas expressed S-100 protein and HMB-45 antibody. Currently (February 1998), the patient is alive and disease-free. PMME is an extremely rare tumor with a poor prognosis for survival. Only 2 cases of removal of recurrent tumors, including the present case, have been reported. The treatment of choice is surgical resection, even in cases of recurrence, because radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy have not been proven to be beneficial; however, they may play a palliative role if surgery is not possible.

• Authors: M Mukaiya, K Hirata, K Tarumi, T Takashima, F Hata, R Denno, K Koito, S Takahashi, M Satoh
• Journal: Hepato-gastroenterology (Hepatogastroenterology) 1999 Jan-Feb Vol. 46 Issue 25 Pg. 295-8 ISSN: 0172-6390 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 10228810 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Esophageal Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery)
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Male
• Melanoma (diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery)
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed