Rare cause of massive gastrointestinal bleeding. A case of metastatic melanoma

Abstract

The case of a 76-year-old patient, with a history of melanoma, admitted to the department of gastroenterology with symptoms of hypovolemic shock, caused by massive  gastrointestinal bleeding. Clot-covered melanoma metastases were detected in both gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy. Gastrointestinal melanoma metastases are found in the majority of patients with advanced melanoma during autopsy; however, they are rarely detected in intravital studies and can be misdiagnosed as other benign lesions in endoscopy. In cases of patients with history of melanoma, metastases should be considered as the cause of non-specific abdominal symptoms, anemia, or bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.