Metastasis of melanoma to the gastrointestinal tract. Report of three cases

Background:Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most common malignancies to metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract. Presence of tumor metastasis is an important prognostic factor. Despite clinical advances, the five-year survival rate of patients with stage IV malignant melanoma is only about 14%. We present three clinical cases with metastasis of cutaneous melanoma. Clinical cases:Man 68 years old and woman 55 years old, with colon metastasis; and man 75 years old with metastasis to the small intestine. All of them underwent resection alone when they presented gastrointestinal symptoms and they obtained relief after it. Two patients had initial cutaneous lesions with Breslow´s thickness < 2 mm. The three patients died months after the surgery. Conclusion:Meticulous attention to patients with prior history of cutaneous melanoma who present with subtle gastrointestinal symptoms is highly recommended.