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Multiple intracranial melanoma metastases: case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

Although intracerebral metastases of malignant melanoma are common, those located in the sellar region and within the pontocerebellar area are extremely rare. Furthermore, to our knowledge, there is no report about melanoma metastasis to the epiphysis published so far. We report here a 46-year-old patient who had metastatic lesions in the sellar region, cerebellopontine area and epiphysial gland, preceded by a primary melanoma at her left shoulder. The diagnosis of sellar metastasis was confirmed histopathologically following a stereotactic biopsy. The patient received whole-brain irradiation therapy combined with chemotherapy. After 10 months, she died from a severe hemorrhage in the cerebellopontine angle. Autopsy findings confirmed melanoma metastases both in the cerebellopontine angle and additionally in the epiphysial gland. To our knowledge, this is the first case of multiple intracranial melanoma metastases including the suprasellar region, the pontocerebellar and epiphysial area.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Aslan Güzel is supported by TUBITAK (Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey) and DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). The authors would like to thank Mrs. Donata Maciaczyk for her contribution in preparing the figures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Dicle, 21180, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Aslan Guzel

  2. Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Jaroslaw Maciaczyk, Christoph B. Ostertag & Guido Nikkhah

  3. Department of Neuropathology, Neurocenter, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Hildegard Dohmen-Scheufler & Benedikt Volk

  4. Department of Radiology, University of Dicle, 21180, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Senem Senturk

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  1. Aslan Guzel
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Correspondence to Aslan Guzel.

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Guzel, A., Maciaczyk, J., Dohmen-Scheufler, H. et al. Multiple intracranial melanoma metastases: case report and review of the literature. J Neurooncol 93, 413–420 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-008-9785-0

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