Small intestine intussusception causing intestinal obstruction secondary to left pinna melanoma metastases: a case report

We present the case of a 68-year-old patient with a previous history of stage IV malignant ulcerated nodular melanoma of the left pinna with pulmonary metastasis, who was admitted to the emergency department with an initial clinical suspicion of intestinal obstruction, which was confirmed by computed tomography. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy that revealed multiple small lesions in the small intestine suggestive of malignancy, causing a distal jejunal intussusception responsible for the obstruction. The patient underwent resection of the affected bowel segment and subsequent intestinal anastomosis, with histopathological samples confirming metastatic melanoma. The patient progressed with an adequate postoperative course and is now on a systemic oncology management plan. This case study reports an infrequent presentation of left pinna melanoma intestinal metastases presenting with small bowel obstruction and successful surgical management given to the patient to further broaden knowledge on this subject.