Relapse of Melanoma Presenting as Jejunal Intussusception

Abstract

Melanoma is a relatively rare tumour with tendency to metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract. Metastasis to the intestine constitutes a majority of the gastrointestinal tract melanoma metastases and confers a poor prognosis. While post-mortem studies detect that more than half of the melanoma  patients have gastrointestinal tract metastasis, only minority are diagnosed, and even rarer present with intussusception. Intussusception, mainly a  paediatric entity, is also seen among adult patients with underlying inflammatory bowel disease or tumour. In this report, we describe a patient with a  melanoma in remission who presented with intestinal obstruction after months of vague abdominal complaints. Laparotomy revealed jejunal  intussusception and histopathological staining confirmed the melanoma diagnosis. No other distant metastases other than the jejunum were revealed  after extensive investigation.