Pancreatoduodenectomy for melanoma with metastasis to the common bile duct

Melanoma with metastasis to the common bile duct is relatively rare. This report presents the case of a 56-year-old Japanese male that showed an abnormal laboratory profile 18 months after resection of a skin melanoma occurring on the left fifth finger. The cytology of bile obtained by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography yielded a diagnosis of melanoma with metastasis to the common bile duct. Surgery revealed melanoma within the distal common bile duct. There were no other secondary metastases in the abdomen and a radical pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. The patient survived for 13 months without any signs of recurrence and died of progressive systemic metastatic melanoma 34 months after surgery. Therefore, radical surgical resection appears to be effective for the prolongation of survival in cases of melanoma with metastasis to the common bile duct.