Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Esophagus Treated by Early Diagnosis and Surgical Resection

ABSTRACT

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is an extremely rare disease and accounts for approximately 0.1~0.2% of all esophageal malignancies. It is also a very aggressive disease with 5 year survival rates ranging from 2.2% to 37.5%. A 51-year-old woman with no previous medical history visited the hospital complaining of mild epigastric discomfort and belching. Endoscopy revealed a dark pigmented, polypoid lesion which was later diagnosed as primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus. Here we report a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus that was diagnosed in a very early phase and successfully resected with an Ivor-Lewis procedure.