Intracranial meningeal melanocytoma - Case report

Abstract

A 59-year-old man presented with a rare intracranial meningeal melanocytoma in the left cerebellopontine angle. The patient underwent partial surgical excision and radiosurgery for successful control of the tumor. Meningeal melanocytoma is an essentially benign melanotic tumor, derived from the melanocytes of the leptomeninges, and may occur anywhere in the cranial and spinal meninges. Preoperative differential diagnosis of intracranial meningeal melanocytoma from malignant melanoma is difficult based on magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrastructural findings are essential to establish the diagnosis. The prognosis of this tumor is not always favorable with occasional local recurrence. Total resection is the best treatment, but gamma knife radiosurgery is effective for the residual tumor following partial resection.