Presumed primary malignant melanoma of the liver: a case report

A 55-year-old woman was hospitalized with a palpable and painful mass in her upper abdomen. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a 10 × 7-cm tumor extending into the abdominal cavity from the left hepatic lobe and multiple metastatic lesions in the right hepatic lobe. A left hepatic lobectomy was performed for debulking and palliative resection. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen diagnosed the large hepatic tumor in the left hepatic lobe as a malignant melanoma. Physical and radiological examinations were performed on dermatological, ophthalmic, gynecological, and central nervous system areas, and endoscopic examinations were performed on the upper digestive tract and colon. No other lesions were disclosed as possible primary tumors for the disease. This result suggested that the tumor might arise from the left hepatic lobe.