Anorectal Melanoma

Abstract

Anorectal melanoma is a disease that can be difficult to diagnose because of its unclear presentation. After diagnosis, the main treatment available is surgical resection. Sentinel lymph node mapping has an unclear role in its management. Adjuvant therapy has long been recommended; however, there are no strong data to support its use. Prognostic factors to help gauge survival are also not clear; nevertheless, there is a strong association between stage of disease and histologic perineal invasion. Anorectal melanoma is a very rare disease with a dismal prognosis.