Primary adrenal malignant melanoma: A case report and review of literature

RATIONALE: The primary adrenal melanoma (PAM) was an extremely rare occurrence, which was demonstrated as the few cases described in the medical literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: We reported a 58-year-old man who was admitted to hospital because of intermittent left flank pain which lasted for a month. The renal computed tomography (CT) scan showed that a large retroperitoneal tumor measuring 15.5 cm × 12.1 cm × 13.0 cm seemed to have its origin in the left adrenal gland. DIAGNOSES: According to clinical symptoms, previous history, physical examination, and postoperative pathology, the patient was diagnosed as PAM. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with an open procedure for resection of retroperitoneal tumor. After the surgery, the patient participated in the clinical drug trial and received treatment with ipilimumab as adjuvant medical therapy. OUTCOMES: When this article was completed, the patient was still alive and the survival has been already up to 20 months. LESSONS: The PAM was extremely rare in clinic, and its diagnosis and differential diagnosis were difficult. Therefore, clinical physicians should attach great importance to this disease.