[Non-pigmented melanoma of the rectum]

A 49 year-old woman underwent a palliative abdominoperineal resection because rectal adenocarcinoma that produced pain, bleeding and transanal tumor protrussion. Histologic studies showed and amelanotic melanoma. She died 3 months later. Any pigmented lesion in the anorectum must be excised to rule out melanoma. In some cases abdominoperineal resection may be done but as the majority of patients have metastases at the time of diagnosis, paliative wide local excision is the preferred treatment of this highly letal neoplasm.