A Case of Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Esophagus Confirmed by Initial Lesion

Kouichi Yoshida, Kazuya Maeda, Hiroyuki Sugawara, Masatoshi Sasaki and Kazuhiro Matsui*

Department of Surgery and Department of Pathology*, Saiseikai Takaoka Hospital

We encountered a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus in which we confirmed the development of the lesion from intraepithelial lesions about 10 mm in size to elevated lesions up to 42 mm in size over a period of 19 months. This case is extremely valuable from the point of view of understanding the natural history of the development of malignant melanoma of the esophagus, and is, therefore, we have reported it here. The patient was a 69-year-old male. Endscopy revealed brown spots about 10 mm in size in the thoracic esophagus, and biopsy revealed the diagnosis of melanosis of the esophagus. Endoscopy conducted 19 months later revealed elevated lesions measuring about 42×32×11 mm in size, which coincided with the sites of the spots noted previously. Biopsy revealed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Based on result of microscopic re-examination of the previous biopsy specimens, the diagnosis was corrected to melanoma in situ. Resection was performed, however, the patient developed liver and lung metastasis in the 7th month postoperatively, and died in the 10th month postoperatively.

Key words
malignant melanoma, esophageal neoplasm, natural history

Reprint requests
Kouichi Yoshida Department of Surgery, Saiseikai Takaoka Hospital
387-1 Hutaduka, Takaoka, 933-8525 JAPAN

Accepted
July 25, 2007

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