Amelanotic metastasing melanoma mimicking lung cancer

Lung is one of the most common site of metastasis in patients with malignant melanoma. We report a 64 year old man, who was submitted to our hospital. He complained of increasing intensity of shortage of breath, cough, and loss of weight within the last weeks. Serum analysis was normal. X-ray and CT images displayed a circumscribed density in the lower left lung, suspicious for lung cancer. Bronchoscopy and biopsy indicated a non differentiated malignancy which could not be further classified. Excision of the lower left lobe and of mediastinal lymph nodes was performed. The post surgical definite histological diagnosis revealed an amelanocytic epithelioid melanoma (positive for HMB-45, S-100). Pathologists, pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons should be aware of different cell types of intrapulmonary malignancies although primary lung cancer contributes to the outstanding majority of large and solid lung lesions.