Anal Melanoma: A Case Report of a Rare and Lethal Malignancy in a Suburban Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The aim of this report is to highlight the challenges involved in the diagnosis and treatment of anal melanoma in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. It is a case report of an 84-year-old man who was managed for anal malignant melanoma. Despite inadequate investigative tools and less radical surgical treatment, the survival period of the index patient was comparable to the median survival quoted in the literature. Despite its rarity, mucosal melanomas also occur in the tropics. Prompt diagnosis, adequate imaging, and standardized treatment may improve its outlook in the nearest future.