Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder: report of two cases and a review of the literature

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive and highly metastatic cancers. The most common sites of distant metastases are soft tissues, lung, liver, skin and brain, whereas only few patients develop gastrointestinal metastases. Metastatic involvement of the gallbladder is rare and more often part of a widespread disease than a solitary lesion. The “gold-standard” treatment of metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder remains unclear. We report two cases of patients with past history of cutaneous melanoma who developed visceral metastases. The first patient was asymptomatic and had a widespread disease with metastatic involvement of both the spleen and the gallbladder. The second patient had an isolated metastasis of the gallbladder and complained of upper abdominal pain. The chosen treatment was open cholecystectomy (and splenectomy) in the first case and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the second. A review of the literature is provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Miller AJ, Mihm MC. Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:51–65.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Vernadakis S, Rallis G, Danias N, et al. Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder: an unusual clinical presentation of acute cholecystitis. World J Gastroenterol. 2009;15:3434–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Furumoto K, Miyauchi Y, Ito D, Kitai T, Kogire M. Solitary metastatic gallbladder malignant melanoma originated from the nasal cavity: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2013;4:965–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Ollila DW, Essner R, Wanek LA, Morton DL. Surgical resection for melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal tract. Arch Surg. 1996;131(975–979):979–80.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gorantla V, Kirkwood JM, Tawbi HA. Melanoma brain metastases: an unmet challenge in the era of active therapy. Curr Oncol Rep. 2013;15:483–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Marone U, Caracò C, Losito S, et al. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for melanoma metastatic to the gallbladder: is it an adequate surgical procedure? Report of a case and review of the literature. World J Surg Oncol. 2007;5:141.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Crippa S, Bovo G, Romano F, Mussi C, Uggeri F. Melanoma metastatic to the gallbladder and small bowel: report of a case and review of the literature. Melanoma Res. 2004;14:427–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Samplaski MK, Rosato EL, Witkiewicz AK, Mastrangelo MJ, Berger AC. Malignant melanoma of the gallbladder: a report of two cases and review of the literature. J Gastrointest Surg. 2008;12:1123–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Gogas J, Mantas D, Gogas H, Kouskos E, Markopoulos C, Vgenopoulou S. Metastatic melanoma in the gallbladder: report of a case. Surg Today. 2003;33:135–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Breslow A. The surgical treatment of stage I cutaneous melanoma. Cancer Treat Rev. 1978;5:195–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Armstrong BK, Kricker A. Skin cancer. Dermatoepidemiology. 1995;13:583–90.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Office for National Statistics Cancer statistics registrations. Registrations of cancers diagnosed in 2002. London: MBI; 2005. p. 33.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Balch CM, Soong SJ, Gershenwald JE, et al. Prognostic factors analysis of 17,600 melanoma patients: validation of the American Joint Committee on Cancer melanoma staging system. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:3622–34.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ollila DW. A phase 2 trial of complete resection for stage IV melanoma: results of Southwest Oncology Group Clinical Trial S9430. Cancer. 2011;117:4579–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kainthla R, Kim KB, Falchook GS. Dabrafenib for treatment of BRAF-mutant melanoma. Pharmgenomics Pers Med. 2013;7:21–9.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Ostick DG, Haqqani MT. Obstructive cholecystitis due to metastatic melanoma. Postgrad Med J. 1976;52:710–2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Onozawa H, Saito M, Yoshida S, et al. Multiple metastatic malignant melanoma presenting intraluminal gallbladder bleeding. Int Surg. 2014;99:600–5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Henriques CQ. A case of secondary melanoma of the gall-bladder presenting as acute cholecystitis. Br J Surg. 1955;42:663–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. McFadden PM, Krementz ET, McKinnon WM, Pararo LL, Ryan RF. Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder. Cancer. 1979;44:1802–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Dong XD, DeMatos P, Prieto VG, Seigler HF. Melanoma of the gallbladder: a review of cases seen at Duke University Medical Center. Cancer. 1999;85:32–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Katz SC, Bowne WB, Wolchok JD, Busam KJ, Jaques DP, Coit DG. Surgical management of melanoma of the gallbladder: a report of 13 cases and review of the literature. Am J Surg. 2007;193:493–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hatanaka N, Miyata M, Kamiike W, et al. Radical resection of primary malignant melanoma of the gallbladder with multiple metastases: report of a case. Surg Today. 1993;23:1023–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Martel JP, McLean CA, Rankin RN. Melanoma of the gallbladder. Radiographics. 2009;29:291–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Seelig MH, Schonleben K. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for a metastasis of a malignant melanoma in the gallbladder. Z Gastroenterol. 1997;35:673–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Tuveri M, Tuveri A. Isolated metastatic melanoma to the gallbladder: is laparoscopic cholecystectomy indicated? A case report and review of the literature. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2007;17:141–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kohler U, Jacobi T, Sebastian G, Nagel M. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in isolated metastasis of malignant melanoma to the gallbladder. Chirurg. 2000;71:1517–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Varsamidakis N, Panagiotou P, Yettimis E. Isolated gallbladder metastatic melanoma. HPB (Oxford). 2006;8:73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Christou D, Katodritis N, Decatris MP, et al. Melanoma of the gallbladder: appropriate surgical management and review of the literature. Clin Case Rep. 2014;2:313–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Batus M, Waheed S, Ruby C, Petersen L, Bines SD, Kaufman HL. Optimal management of metastatic melanoma: current strategies and future directions. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2013;14:179–94.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Tarhini AA, Kirkwood LM, Gooding WE, Cai C, Agarwala SS. Durable complete responses with high-dose bolus interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma who have experienced progression after biochemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:3802–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Robert L, Thomas L, Bondarenko I, et al. Ipilimumab plus dacarbazine for previously untreated metastatic melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:2517–26.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Hodi FS, O’Day SJ, McDermott DF, et al. Improved survival with ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:711–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Chapman PB, Hauschild A, Robert C, et al. Improved survival with vemurafenib in melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:2507–16.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Schwartzentruber DJ, Lawson DH, Richards JM, et al. gp100 peptide vaccine and interleukin-2 in patients with advanced melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2011;364:2119–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Robert C, Karaszewska B, Schachter J, et al. Improved overall survival in melanoma with combined dabrafenib and trametinib. N Engl J Med. 2015;372:30–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Larkin J, Ascierto PA, Dréno B, et al. Combined vemurafenib and cobimetinib in BRAF-mutated melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2014;371:1867–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Long GV, Stroyakovskiy D, Gogas H, et al. Combined BRAF and MEK inhibition versus BRAF inhibition alone in melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2014;371:1877–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Flaherty KT, Infante JR, Daud A, et al. Combined BRAF and MEK inhibition in melanoma with BRAF V600 mutations. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:1694–703.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Robert C, Long GV, Brady B, et al. Nivolumab in previously untreated melanoma without BRAF mutation. N Engl J Med. 2015;372:320–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University “A. Moro” of Bari, Policlinico. Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy

    I. Giannini

  2. Complex Operating Unit of Plastic Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University “A. Moro” of Bari, Bari, Italy

    D. A. Cutrignelli

  3. Department of Emergence and Organ Transplantation, Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University “A. Moro” of Bari, Bari, Italy

    L. Resta & A. Gentile

  4. General Surgery Unit, Policlinico of Bari, Bari, Italy

    L. Vincenti

Authors
  1. I. Giannini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. A. Cutrignelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Resta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Gentile
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. Vincenti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. Giannini.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Giannini, I., Cutrignelli, D.A., Resta, L. et al. Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder: report of two cases and a review of the literature. Clin Exp Med 16, 295–300 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-015-0353-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-015-0353-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation