Primary oesophageal melanoma

Abstract

Melanomas arise from unregulated proliferation of melanocytes. Most commonly, they are cutaneous. They can, however, also arise from the visceral organs. Primary oesophageal melanoma is a rare entity, accounting for less than 0.1-0.2 % of primary oesophageal neoplasms. It is often diagnosed late and has a poor prognosis. We illustrate a case of biopsy-proven primary oesophageal melanoma, as well as a review of the literature addressing its clinical and imaging features, treatment, prognosis and differential diagnoses.