Case Report: Gastric Metastasis revealing a Disseminated Skin Melanoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

TL;DR

A case of melanoma spreading to the stomach highlights the importance of checking for skin cancer in patients with unusual stomach lesions.

Contribution

This case emphasizes the rare occurrence of gastric metastasis from melanoma and the diagnostic importance of skin examination.

Findings

A gastric lesion with dark pigmentation was found to be metastatic melanoma.

The primary melanoma was identified only after a thorough skin examination.

Gastric melanoma metastasis is rare and often presents with non-specific symptoms.

Abstract

Melanoma, an aggressive malignant skin cancer, has the ability to spread both locoregionally and to distant sites. The risk of metastasis is correlated to invasion depth and the presence of ulceration. Although gastrointestinal (GI) metastases are uncommon, gastric involvement is particularly rare.

We report a case of a 62-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain, dyspepsia, anorexia, and weight loss. On physical examination abdominal masses and hepatomegaly were detected. Radiological imaging showed widespread masses in the abdominal and thoracic regions. Upper GI endoscopy identified an umbilicated protruded lesion with central dark pigmentation at the antro-fundic junction. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining were consistent with melanoma. A subsequent rigorous skin examination uncovered a primary malignant skin melanoma. Due to worsening general condition, the patient received palliative hospice care.

This report highlights the critical need for vigilant skin examination when encountering gastric lesions with dark pigmentation, which led to the identification of initially undetected cutaneous melanoma.

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