Hepatic hemorrhage as a consequence of rapid response to combined targeted therapy in metastatic melanoma

A middle-aged female with metastatic melanoma was found to have hemoperitoneum after starting systemic therapy with the BRAF and MEK inhibitors dabrafenib and trametinib. Etiology proved to be bleeding from a known hepatic metastasis. The patient was managed conservatively and eventually resumed systemic therapy with ongoing response. This case serves to illustrate the possible deleterious effects of rapid tumor response after initiation of targeted systemic therapy in patients with metastatic melanoma.