Melanoma: a devastating evolution

Authors

  • Edgar Torre Serviço de Medicina 1 – Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, Hospital de Santa Luzia – Viana do Castelo.
  • Irene Miranda Serviço de Medicina 1 – Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, Hospital de Santa Luzia – Viana do Castelo.
  • carmélia Rodrigues Serviço de Medicina 1 – Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, Hospital de Santa Luzia – Viana do Castelo.
  • Amélia Marques Serviço de Medicina 1 – Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, Hospital de Santa Luzia – Viana do Castelo.
  • Diana Guerra Serviço de Medicina 1 – Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE, Hospital de Santa Luzia – Viana do Castelo.

Keywords:

cutaneous lesions, weight loss, metastases, melanoma

Abstract

Melanoma incidence ranges from 10-15 cases/100000 inhabitants, representing the 5th most common cancer in men. In 30%
of cases, it may present distant metastases, assuming a gloomy
prognosis. The authors describe a case of a 41 year-old man presenting a painful and friable tumefaction on the left foot that had
appeared six months before, followed by progressively worsening
anorexia, weight loss, dysphagia and hoarseness. Physical exam
revealed an ulcerated swelling tumor, approximately 9cmx8cm,
with irregular and friable surface in the left foot and multiple pigmented painful nodules in the scalp and ipsilateral leg. Analytical
data: anemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytosis and alterations of liver
function tests. Imaging study revealed: pulmonary, pleural, liver
and bone metastases with D11 fracture; mediastinal adenopathies; pre-vertebral mass with invasion of the right internal jugular
vein and cranial bones. Upper gastrointestinal Endoscopy showed
gastric ulcers and duodenal brown stain. Biopsies of gastric and
skin lesions: melanoma metastases. Diagnosis of melanoma
was made, stage IV, M1c. Patient was submitted to analgesic
radiotherapy and died before starting palliative chemotherapy

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Dummer R, Hauschild A, Jost L. Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: ESMO Clinical Recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Annals of Oncology 2008; 19: 86-88.

Rath R. Malignant melanoma. European Surgery 2006; 38: 145-148.

Braunwald Eugene et al. Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th edition, McGrawHill 2008; 541-545.

Tsao Hensin, Atkins Michael, Sober Arthur. Management of Cutaneous Melanoma. NEJM, 2004; 351:998-1012.

Pontes Laranjeira et al. Registo oncológico nacional, 2009; ROR Centro

Thompson JF, Scolyer RA, Kefford RF. Cutaneous melanoma. Lancet 2005; 365: 687-701.

UpToDate, versão 19.2

Miller Arlo, Mihr Martin. Mechanisms of Disease Melanoma. NEJM 2006;

: 51-65.

Naheed Abbasi et al. Early Diagnosis of Cutaneous Melanoma: Revisiting the

ABCD Criteria. JAMA 2004; 292: 2771-2776.

Forman Seth et al. Is superficial spreading melanoma still the most common

form of malignant melanoma? Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

; VOLUME: 1013-1060.

Balch CM, Buzaid AC, Atkins MB et al. Final version of the American Joint

Committee on Cancer staging system for cutaneous melanoma. Journal of

Clinical Oncology 2001; 19:3635-3648

Additional Files

Published

2013-03-29

How to Cite

1.
Torre E, Miranda I, Rodrigues carmélia, Marques A, Guerra D. Melanoma: a devastating evolution. RPMI [Internet]. 2013 Mar. 29 [cited 2024 Dec. 20];20(1):41-4. Available from: https://revista.spmi.pt/index.php/rpmi/article/view/1068

Issue

Section

Case Reports

Most read articles by the same author(s)