A Rare Case of Primary Intracerebral Malignant Melanoma

Abstract

Malignant melanomas occurring in the central nervous system are mostly metastatic. Primary intracranial malignant melanomas are a rare entity, accounting for 0.07% of all brain tumors. In the central nervous system, melanocytes originate from the neural crest cells that are found in the leptomeninges. Only a few cases of malignant melanoma primarily arising from the brain have been reported in the literature to date. We report a rare case of primary intracerebral malignant melanoma in a 39-year-old female. Through this case report, our aim is to highlight the role of imaging in the early diagnosis and management of malignant melanoma.

Keywords: intracranial; malignant; melanocytes; melanoma; neural crest cells.