Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. Apr 6, 2026; 14(10): 119456
Published online Apr 6, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i10.119456
Published online Apr 6, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i10.119456
Residual anorectal malignant melanoma presenting as polyp-like lesion detected during colonoscopic withdrawal observation: A case report and review of literature
Ya-Xin Li, Lin-Jie Guo, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan Uni
Author contributions: Li YX contributed to manuscript writing and editing, and data collection; Li YX contributed to data analysis; Guo LJ contributed to conceptualization and supervision; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Lin-Jie Guo, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China. guolj08@163.com
Received: February 2, 2026
Revised: February 18, 2026
Accepted: March 10, 2026
Published online: April 6, 2026
Processing time: 62 Days and 0.5 Hours
Revised: February 18, 2026
Accepted: March 10, 2026
Published online: April 6, 2026
Processing time: 62 Days and 0.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Anorectal mucosal melanoma (AMM) is rare, highly aggressive, and often presents with subtle or amelanotic lesions that are easily missed. We report a case of early local recurrence detected only through systematic colonoscopic withdrawal with rectal retroflexion and careful assessment of microvascular patterns. Despite appearing benign under narrow-band imaging, white-light endoscopy revealed suspicious lesions leading to biopsy-confirmed recurrence. This case highlights the critical role of meticulous, high-quality endoscopic surveillance in identifying early occult recurrence and underscores the need for individualized, standardized monitoring strategies in high-risk AMM patients.