[Ileus caused by metastasis of cutaneous malignant melanoma: case report]

In this case report we describe rare metastatic appearance of cutaneous malignant melanoma ( MM) in small intestine followed by clinical appearance of acute surgical abdomen. A 42-year old women operated in our hospital in April 2009. due to unusual naevus on her right arm. Pathologicaly it was MM grossly 1.5 cm, microscopically Breslow 11 mm, Clark's level IV (T4), number of mitosis 1.4 per mm2, without ulcerations. She was sent to continue treatment at the National Referal Center for Melanoma in KB "S. milosrdnice" Zagreb, Croatia. A month later wider excision (3 cm free margin) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was made there followed by axillary lymphadenectomy due to positive axillary finding. She received six cycles of chemotherapy. She arrived in our hospital in May 2010, under clinical picture of small intestine ileus and acute surgical abdomen. After preparation she was operated the same day. The cause of ileus was metastasis of MM in the small interstine. We made intestinal resection with termino-terminal anastomosis. The patient was released to home care ten days after operation without any complication. This case report demonstrates rarely described case of MM metastasis in the small intestine found causing ileus.