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Encapsulated fat necrosis (EFN), most commonly, is an asymptomatic entity and is often found incidentally in images. However, in the abdomen, it may present as an acute abdomen. Mesenteric fat necrosis is part of a larger disease spectrum called collectively mesenteric sclerosis. It results in forming of a mass that can be confused with other pathologies such as liposarcoma, carcinoma of the cecum, and other more benign conditions such as appendagitis of the epiplon. We present the case of an 82-year-old male who presented with an asymptomatic right lower quadrant mass with concerning computed tomography findings with no previous abdominal surgery or trauma history. Diagnosing EFN is crucial as it can mimic bowel cancer and immune-related mesenteric pathology such as sclerosing mesenteritis, the management of which is far more extreme and aggressive than EFN., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research.)

Anorectal melanoma is an uncommon cancer with a poor prognosis. We aim to describe the clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of patients with anorectal melanoma in our center. Retrospective study of patients with anorectal melanoma treated between 2000 and 2011 at a cancer center in Lisbon. Ten patients were identified, eight females and two males, with median age 70.5 years (32-79). Symptoms at presentation were rectal bleeding (8), anal pain (4) and discomfort (3). Tumor location was anal (6), rectal (3) and anorectal transition (2). Seven patients had surgery: abdomino-pelvic resection (5) and local resection (2). Among the two patients who underwent local resection, one was an incidental finding in a hemorrhoidectomy specimen. This patient had further adjuvant chemotherapy (dacarbazine). Three patients had distant metastasis at diagnosis, one had chemotherapy and two had best supportive care. Six of the seven operated patients relapsed in a median time of 5.4 months: distant metastasis (4), local recurrence (1), both (1). The two local relapse patients had surgical widening of resection margins (1) and radiotherapy (2). One-year survival was 30 %; 3-year survival was 20 %. Anorectal melanoma has a poor prognosis due to advanced disease at presentation and aggressive course, with relapse in almost all operated patients. Treatment guidelines have not been established due to the lack of randomized studies. However, recent studies show that sphincter-sparing surgical procedures along with low dose intensity radiotherapy seem to achieve a local control similar to abdomino-pelvic resection. No systemic therapy is considered standard of care for advanced disease, and regimens are extrapolated from cutaneous melanoma experience.