Unsuitability of organ donation from a patient with a history of melanoma?

Abstract

A 52-year-old man with a history of melanoma presented to the emergency department with a massive intracranial hemorrhage. The patient deteriorated rapidly and was being considered as a potential organ donor. Three years before presentation, the patient had undergone wide excision of a 3.75-mm melanoma from his back with sentinel lymph node biopsy, which yielded negative findings. He had been well until the day of presentation. Although there are no specific guidelines for candidacy of organ donation from patients with a history of melanoma, there are several reports of donor-derived melanoma in organ transplant recipients, most with grave consequences. The literature relevant to this case is reviewed and discussed.