Primary malignant melanoma of esophagus at esophagogastric junction: case report

摘要

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is a rare tumor that accounts for only 0. 1 % of primary esophageal neoplasms. Although it was once thought that primary melanoma could not arise in the esophagus because of the lack of precursor cells, it has since been shown in autopsy series that 4% -8% of individuals have melanoblasts in the esophageal mucosa. To date, approximately 200 cases of primary esophageal malignant melanoma have been reported in global literatures while less than 20 cases of primary esophageal malignant melanoma have been reported in China. In this report we present a case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus in a Chinese man.