A Rare Case of Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Esophagus Presenting as Dysphagia

TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case of esophageal melanoma that presented with difficulty swallowing and was diagnosed at a metastatic stage.

Contribution

The novelty lies in describing a rare primary esophageal melanoma case with late presentation and metastasis.

Findings

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is rare and often detected at metastatic stage.

The patient presented with dysphagia to solid food, leading to diagnosis of metastatic disease.

Symptoms appear late, delaying detection in gastrointestinal primary melanomas.

Abstract

Melanoma is one of the most notorious tumors due to its appearance in unusual locations. The most frequent site is the skin; however, it can sporadically develop as a primary tumor in the esophagus. However, as symptoms appear later, if the primary site is in the gastrointestinal system, it is frequently detected at the metastatic stage. We hereby describe a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus that presented due to dysphagia with solid food and on further workup, found to be at the metastatic stage.

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