Korean J Med.  2009 Feb;76(2):238-243.

Diagnosis and management of primary malignant melanoma of the lung: a case report

• Bang CS
• Park GW
• Lee SI
• Choo YK
• Lee WK
• Noh R
• Suh JH

Abstract

Melanoma develops in the skin or the mucosa of organs. It spreads via lymphatic channels or the bloodstream to the regional lymph nodes or organs such as the brain, liver, and lung. Melanoma of the lung is nearly always metastatic, and primary malignant melanoma of the lung is very rare, with only 30 cases reported in the English literature. The possibility of skin lesions that have disappeared, or of undetected primary sites, makes it difficult to confirm true primary tumors. Therefore, a thorough workup is needed to make the diagnosis. Since metastatic melanoma is incurable, the goal of treatment is palliation. However, because of the rare experience of primary melanoma of the lung, it is difficult to predict the prognosis. We experienced one patient with primary malignant melanoma of the lung with metastases who had been managed with surgery, interferon-alpha, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy over 5 years. This case report presents the diagnosis and management of primary malignant melanoma of the lung.

Keyword

Malignant melanoma; Lung neoplasm

MeSH Terms

Brain
Humans
Interferon-alpha
Liver
Lung
Lung Neoplasms
Lymph Nodes
Melanoma
Mucous Membrane
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prognosis
Skin
Interferon-alpha