Korean Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery  2004;8(3):198-201

A Case of Metastatic Malignant Melanoma of the Gallbladder.

Tae Hoon KIM 1 ; Jin Young JANG ; Min Gew CHOI ; Yoo Seok YOON ; Sun Whe KIM ; Yong Hyun PARK

Affiliations

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Keywords

Melanoma; Gallbladder; Neoplasm Metastasis

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

A metastatic melanoma is a ubiquitous tumor that spares no organ from metastases. Gastrointestinal involvement is a common occurrence in patients with a metastatic melanoma, and post mortem records have shown gallbladder involvement in about 15% of all gastrointestinal metastatic localizations. However, metastasis to the gallbladder as an isolated site is rare. Herein, an unusual case of a young man in whom a single metastatic gallbladder melanoma was the first and only metastatic site of the disease is reported. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, histopathology, prognosis and treatment of metastatic melanomas of the gallbladder are also reviewed.