GASTROINTESTINAL METASTASES OF MALIGNANT SKIN MELANOMA – REPORT OF 2 CASES AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• Main Authors: Sergey Dimitrov Iliev, Paulina Trifonova Vladova, Savelina Popovska
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bulgarian Association of Young Surgeons 2016-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Surgery and Medicine
• Subjects: malignant skin melanoma; gastrointestinal metastases; radical surgical treatment
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5455/ijsm.melanoma
• ISSN: 2367-699X; 2367-699X

According to the database from the National Cancer Registry malignant skin melanoma is one of the most malignant skin tumors. The prognosis of malignant skin melanoma is bad because of its high degree of aggressiveness and tendency to metastases. Metastases in the gastrointestinal tract are frequently found as 80% of the malignant skin melanoma metastases in the gastrointestinal tract affect the small intestines. We present 2 cases of patients with metastases in the gastrointestinal tract from malignant skin melanoma, where radical surgical interventions on gastrointestinal metastases have been performed. The presence of distant metastases is the most important prognostic indicator for the survival of the patients with diagnosed malignant melanoma. In both cases presented surgical treatment has been made - resection of the small intestines area affected by the tumor metastases with subsequent anastomosis, observing the principles of operative surgical oncology. The patients were monitored during a period of 6 months and 1.5 years and their quality of life has been good. In cases of metastasеs from malignant skin melanoma in GIT surgical interventions must be made. This way the survival rate of the patients can be increased and their quality of life can be improved.