Study design: A retrospective review of a case of primary leptomeningeal melanoma.
Objectives: To present a previously undescribed tumor of the lumbar meninges.
Background: The case described the first report of lumbar localization and of bony metastasis of this tumor.
Methods: The authors present a case of a 65-year-old man with a destruction of the fifth lumbar vertebra and an exacerbation of lumbar pain and acute sensorimotor radiculopathy.
Results: The histologic examination of the resected tissue after the transpedicular stabilization suggested the presence of metastatic melanoma. After the development of progressive paraplegia and a second operation, subsequent histologic examination of the resected tissue showed the lesion to be a primary leptomeningeal melanoma. The patient's condition deteriorated progressively, and 31 days after confirmation of the diagnosis, he died of meningeal melanomatosis.
Conclusion: By indicating the possibility of hitherto unreported sites of occurrence, routes of metastatic spread, and manifestations of this malignant tumor, this case report may contribute to the further elucidation of this disease.