Fact-sheet: Metastasis to gallbladder
Updated on 04/18/2017 at 7:06 AM
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Definition
Melanoma metastases can occur anywhere (even in the parotid gland, retroperitoneum, digestive wall, subcutaneous fat…), warranting careful analysis.
They are often hypervascular, hence the need for triphasic CT scans including an arterial phase at the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic levels, to increase their reliability. A significant increase in size of untreated metastases within 1 to 2 months is the rule.
Gallbladder metastases are a known secondary location of cutaneous malignant melanomas. They are observed in 15 to 20% of autopsy series of patients with melanoma.
Clinical features
When they become symptomatic, they frequently present with clinical signs of acute calculous cholecystitis.