[Diagnosis and treatment of rectal melanoma]

Rectal melanoma is encountered rarely, is extremely malignant and prone to quick dissemination. The site of the tumor significantly complicates the diagnosis making inexperienced physicians to suspect polyps or hemorrhoids. It is only tumor destruction and ulceration that ascertain cancer. Misdiagnosis of rectal melanoma is responsible for rapid dissemination of malignant cells following undue biopsy. In suspected melanoma it is valid to perform wide electroexcision of the tumor with rapid histological examination. The survival is dependent on melanoma stage, ulceration and destruction, involvement of lymph nodes, histological appearance.