title: Melanocytic schwannomas. Report of three cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Melanocytic tumors are rare. The literature reports less than 40 cases and suggests that they behave aggressively, can recur and progress to malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report three patients with melanocytic schwannomas located in the cervical spine, in the thoracic spine and in the lumbar spine. In the two first cases, these symptoms were a spinal cord compression whereas the last patient presented symptoms of cruralgy.
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI always showed an extramedullary intradural tumor arising from the root destroying the intervertebral foramen.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients underwent laminectomy and the excision was complete. Immunohistochemical stains were positive to S100 and HMB45 antibodies. The evolution was unfavourable for two patients with local recurrence and leptomeningeal metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These three cases demonstrate that melanocytic schwannomas have a guarded prognosis because of their metastatic potential, especially for young people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Amiens University Hospital Center, Place Victor-Pauchet, 80054 Amiens Cedex 1. jojo.peltier@caramail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peltier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toussaint
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruniau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desenclos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Gars
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D016896:Treatment Outcome