Case Report

Metastatic melanoma to the small bowel complicated by fistula formation

Nausheen Khan, Irma van de Werke, Zaeem Ismail Ebrahim, Farzanah Ismail
South African Journal of Radiology | Vol 15, No 4 | a356 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajr.v15i4.356 | © 2011 Nausheen Khan, Irma van de Werke, Zaeem Ismail Ebrahim, Farzanah Ismail | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 24 February 2011 | Published: 07 December 2011

About the author(s)

Nausheen Khan, Kalafong Hospital, South Africa
Irma van de Werke, Kalafong Hospital, South Africa
Zaeem Ismail Ebrahim, Pretoria University
Farzanah Ismail, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Malignant melanoma (MM) is an unpredictable tumour that can metastasise to any organ, and is well known for its widespread dissemination. The incidence of metastases to the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract is well documented; this, however, is a late manifestation of the disease with an overall poor prognosis. Most GI metastases are asymptomatic and are only discovered on postmortem, with the majority in the small bowel. The presenting symptoms are usually of obstruction or intussusception; GI bleeding is also common. Fistula formation with the small bowel is rare; ours is believed to be the second case documented.

Keywords

metastastic; melanoma; fistula

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