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Case Reports
. 2020 Sep 15;12(9):e10475.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.10475.

A Rare Case of Duodenal Melanosis: Case Report

Navpreet K Rana  1 , Umair Minhas  2 , Thomas Mahl  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Rare Case of Duodenal Melanosis: Case Report

Navpreet K Rana et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Pseudomelanosis (PM) is a rare condition of unknown etiology and pathogenesis, described as speckled black pigmentation of intestinal mucosa. It is usually discovered as an incidental finding during endoscopy. Although, etiology of PM is unclear, it has been associated with different medications and systemic diseases such as chronic renal disease and diabetes mellitus. In this report, we describe a case of a 72-year-old male with multiple co-morbidities who presented with epigastric pain, nausea and hematemesis. Subsequently, upper endoscopy performed revealed intestinal PM with no active bleeding. Although considered a benign condition, knowing the existence of PM is important to exclude other serious conditions with similar endoscopic findings.

Keywords: duodenal melanosis; pseudomelanosis; small bowel; upper endoscopy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Dark pigmentation of the duodenal mucosa noted on upper endoscopy. Pigments marked with blue arrows.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Histochemical study illustrating pigment in the duodenal mucosa, marked with yellow star.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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