Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder presenting as polyp in acute cholecystitis

Metastatic melanoma of the gallbladder presenting as polyp in acute cholecystitis:

Abstract

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive neural crest cell-derived neoplasm with a propensity for metastasis to almost any organ. Gastrointestinal metastasis may manifest as gallbladder polyps. We report a case of metastatic malignant melanoma diagnosed in an 81-year-old male after cholecystectomy performed for acute cholecystitis. Cholecystectomy remains the standard of care for treatment of isolated gallbladder metastasis, especially in the setting of symptomatic disease. Mutation-directed chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic modalities serve as efficacious adjunctive therapy in addition to primary surgical resection for this rare condition.