PRIMARY MALIGNANT MELANOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS: AMELANOTIC TO MELANOTIC APPEARANCE

Abstract

A 59-year-old man presented with general fatigue and appetite loss. Abdominal CTshowed multiple metastatic liver tumors. Endoscopy revealed multiple gray whitish polypoidand suhmucosal tumors in the esophagus. A diagnosis of malignant lymphoma was made by thehistological findings. Chemotherapy was initiated, however, the lesions changed to blackappearance, and primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus(PMME)was diagnosed. Fivemonths hater, the patient died of carcinomatosis despite the chemotherapy. For correctdiagnosis of light-colored esophageal tumors, the amelanotic type of PMME should be includedin the differential diagnosis.