title: Primary intramedullary spinal melanoma: diagnostic and treatment problems.
abstract: A 76-year old female patient with 9 year history of right mastectomy for an infiltrating ductal breast cancer and no evidence of recurrent nor metastatic disease, was admitted due to pain in the lower thoracic area radiating bilaterally to the posterior aspect of the chest wall at the same level, difficulties in micturition, urinary hesitancy, and progressive weakness of the lower limbs. Primary intramedullary spinal tumor was demonstrated by a MRI study of the spine, partially resected, and found to be a malignant melanoma on pathological study. Postoperative irradiation and administration of dexamethasone did not improve the neurologic status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Israel.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salame
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Merimsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yosipov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reider-Groswasser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaitchik
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Ouaknine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*