Metastatic melanoma of ampulla of Vater presenting as obstructive jaundice: case report with literature review

The behavior of malignant melanoma is highly unpredictable, with remissions and relapses occurring without major warning signs. Small bowel is a very common site of metastasis of melanoma. An obstructive jaundice from metastatic malignant melanoma to the ampulla of Vater is rare with handful of cases reported so far. Malignant melanoma metastatic to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a late manifestation of the disease with an overall poor prognosis and survival less than 4 months in our review. We present a rare manifestation of obstructive jaundice as result of melanoma metastases to the ampulla of Vater. Patient was palliated with biliary stent placement and chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma.