[Characteristics of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus with report of a case].

The case of a 72 year old woman with primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus, subjected twice to surgical operation with a 17-month interval and still alive 35 months after the onset symptoms is reported. In order to outline the biologic behaviour of this rare neoplasm, 44 similar bibliographic cases are analysed and comparisons made between melanoma and carcinoma of the esophagus as well as between melanomas of the esophagus and of the skin.