Malignant melanoma of the ano-rectal region: case report and review of the literature

Malignant ano-rectal melanoma is a rare pathology without characteristic symptoms. It is more frequent in females than in males (ratio 2:1) and represents 3-15% of anal canal tumours. A case of a woman who recently came to us complaining of painful defecation, tenesmus and rectal bleeding induced us to reconsider the diagnostic and therapeutic implications in ano-rectal melanoma. The low incidence of cases reported and the negative 5-year prognosis are due to late, often incidental, diagnosis during clinical observation for hemorrhoids, rectal polyps or rhagades, together with the aspecificity of the tumour symptoms. We hope our case report emphasizes the importance of conducting early diagnosis in patients at risk of ano-rectal melanoma.