Malignant melanoma of the anorectal area - Report of two cases

Background/Aims: Primary anorectal melanoma is a very rare malignant tumor with no more than 300 cases reported in the literature. Methods: Two cases of anorectal melanoma are reported herein. Results: Both patients, aged 44 and 74 years, presented at the outpatient department with anal bleeding, on e after being treated far 3 months with antihemorrhoidal drugs. The diagnos is was established with proctoscopy and biopsy, and a palliative abdominope rineal resection in the presence of lymph node metastases was performed fol lowed by chemotherapy with vindesine. Although the procedures were not cura tive, both patients had an uneventful postoperative recovery, and lived 4 y ears and 21 months, respectively, without bleeding problems albeit with the inconvenience of a colostomy. Conclusions: For the time being there is no convincing proof of the value of either types of proposed surgical manageme nt. We agree with those who believe that abdominal perineal resection has a n advantage regarding the prognosis and quality of life. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.