A rare endoscopic finding: primary esophageal melanoma

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Gastrointestinal melanocytic lesions are often secondary to cutaneous melanoma.
• Differentiating primary esophageal melanoma from metastatic disease is clinically significant.

Observation:

• A patient presented with an esophageal lesion histologically and immunohistochemically consistent with epithelioid melanoma.
• Skin examination revealed no evidence of cutaneous melanoma.

Findings:

• The patient was diagnosed with primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus, a rare tumor.
• Diagnosis relies on endoscopic findings, histology, and immunohistochemistry.
• Primary esophageal melanoma typically presents with advanced disease and distant metastasis.

Implications:

• Thorough skin examination is essential to exclude secondary metastasis.
• Early diagnosis and surgical intervention are critical for managing primary esophageal melanoma.
• The prognosis for primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is generally poor due to late presentation.