A Case of Malignant Melanoma of the Retroperitoneum without Any Lesions in Other Organs

Hideki Matsuya, Susumu Oishi, Takaaki Yoshizaki, Shojirokazunori Ikenaga, Hiroshi Tateoka and Hidekachi Kurotaki*

Department of Surgery and Department of Pathology*, Odate Municipal Hospital

A 78-year-old woman followed up since May 1990 after rectal amputation for rectal well-differentiated adenocarcinoma was found in October 2006 to have mildly elevated CA19-9. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) indicated 43×39 mm oval tumor between the left internal and external iliac arteries. She was admitted for surgery November 2006 after a diagnosis of primary extraintestinal or mesenchymal tumor or lymph node metastasis from rectal cancer based on CT findings. Operative findings showed a tumor between the left internal and external iliac arteries, and the tumor was excised. In excised specimens, the white, solid 5×4.5×4 cm tumor had bleeding and necrosis. The histological diagnosis was malignant melanoma. Systemic postoperative examination found no primary focus. After she provided written informed consent, we conducted DAC-Tam therapy. At 7 months after surgery, the woman remains recurrence-free.

Key words
malignant melanoma, retroperitoneal tumor

Reprint requests
Hideki Matsuya Department of Surgery, Odate Municipal Hospital
3-1 Yutaka-cho, Odate, 017-0885 JAPAN

Accepted
May 21, 2008

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