[Intra-abdominal melanoma metastases and their prognosis]

Very often in advanced stages of malignant melanoma several organs are involved. In a small number of patients only intraabdominal metastases seem to occur. The analysis of 106 cases found in the literature and 6 cases from our department revealed the small bowel and the stomach as the main site of metastases, giving rise to intestinal bleeding and obstruction. Apart from emergency cases, even in the advanced stage of disease palliative procedures are indicated since the prognosis in individual cases is quite unpredictable, as seen in some cases with a survival time of up to seven years.