Intratracheal metastasis from malignant melanoma.

Malignant melanoma is increasing in incidence in most countries. Distant metastases are common but intratracheal metastasis is extremely rare. We report a 54-year-old man who presented with increasing dyspnoea. Symptomatic treatment for asthma had been of no effect. Bronchoscopy showed that trachea was nearly occluded by a tumoral mass, and biopsy proved this to be a metastasis of malignant melanoma. The man's breathing difficulties disappeared after local laser therapy, but 2 months later he presented with symptoms of multiple brain metastases.