A Small Bowel Metastasis from an Achromic Melanoma Causing Intussusception and Bowel Obstruction – a Case Presentation

The process of invagination of a proximal section of the in­testine (intussusceptum) into the neighbouring distal part (intussuscipiens) is known as intussusception. We hereby present the case report of a 39 years-old man presenting to the emergency room with colicky abdominal pain in­crea­sing in intensity in the past few months. The imagery in­di­cated a small bowel tumour triggering intussusception, but falsely assumed it was a GIST. The surgical intervention, mainly dictated by the acute setting of small bowel ob­struc­tion found a small bowel tumour causing intus­sus­cep­tion – enterectomy of the affected intestinal seg­ment was per­formed with stapled anastomosis. The postoperative course was favourable and uneventful, the pathology exam re­vealed the nature of the tumour: a small bowel metastasis from an achromic melanoma, of unknown origin. The pa­tient is currently on a specific treatment for metastatic ma­lig­nant melanoma (BRAF inhibitor and MEK inhibitor), with a good clinical outcome at 5 months after surgery (dis­ap­pea­rance of the abdominal pain, of the anorexia and weight gain).