title: Primary leptomeningeal melanomatosis: early leptomeningeal enhancement on MRI.
abstract: One unusual case of primary leptomeningeal melanomatosis is presented. The patient, 53-year-old male, was admitted to our observation for 1 month history of psychasthenia and amnesia. Despite several polyspecialistic clinical, neuroradiological and cytological examinations, conclusive diagnosis was made only with a biopsy of leptomeningeal nodule. The present case allows as to identify 2 stages in the evolution of primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis. The initial phase is characterized by slight mental impairment without hydrocephalus; during the later phase there is severe, diffuse neurological impairment and both CT and MRI show hypercaptation of the intracranial leptomeninges and multiple, leptomeningeal tumoral nodules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, II Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Celli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acqui
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trillò
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ramundo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roperto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrante
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000209:etiology; D001706:Biopsy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000209:etiology