Anorectal melanoma metastatic to the breast

Abstract

Anorectal melanoma is an extremely rare malignancy with poor prognosis. Patients generally present with a sensation of mass and rectal bleeding, which is usually attributed to hemmorrhoids or polyps. It can not be diagnosed early because of these benign symptoms, so it is bulky at the time of presentation. Despite aggresive surgery, 5-year survival is less than 10%. We present a case of inoperable anorectal melanoma which metastasized to the left breast and abdominal lymph nodes. We also briefly reviewed the appropriate literature, emphasizing the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.