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Anorectal melanoma - Anogenital in
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Anorectal melanoma - Anogenital in

Contributors: Vivian Wong MD, PhD, Susan Burgin MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Anorectal melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma affecting the anorectal region. Anorectal melanoma is reported as arising in all 3 zones of the anal canal (upper zone with columnar epithelium, transitional zone at the pectinate line, and lower zone with squamous epithelium), but overwhelmingly so on the transitional zone. Anorectal melanoma affects older patients and has a slight predilection for females and people of Northern European descent. The melanoma may be pigmented or nonpigmented.

Anorectal melanoma is a diagnostic challenge. Patients may present with varying nonspecific symptoms, including hematochezia, rectal pain, constipation / diarrhea, anal discharge, tenesmus, anemia, and weight loss. A prolapsing mass may be a presenting sign in a minority of patients. Prognosis is very poor due to delayed presentation and diagnostic difficulty. Disease-related morbidity and mortality are high, with a median survival of 15.5 months after diagnosis.

Codes

ICD10CM:
C43.51 – Malignant melanoma of anal skin

SNOMEDCT:
276821000 – Malignant melanoma of anus

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Diagnostic Pearls

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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls

To perform a comparison, select diagnoses from the classic differential

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Therapy

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References

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Last Updated:10/18/2016
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Anorectal melanoma - Anogenital in
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A medical illustration showing key findings of Anorectal melanoma : Diarrhea, Constipation, Inguinal lymphadenopathy, Perianal-anus, Hematochezia, Anemia, Tenesmus, Anorectal pain
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