title: Primary malignant melanoma of the optic nerve sheath: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary malignant melanoma of the optic nerve or its sheath, without choroidal involvement, is rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case of primary malignant melanoma of the optic nerve in a 67-year-old man is presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With a preserved vision, normal fundoscopy makes the correct preoperative diagnosis a real challenge. Proptosis, as a sole presentation of this lesion, has not been described earlier. Microsurgical excision of such a lesion from the optic nerve saves vision and may be considered a satisfactory management option in selected cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India. satya_sandee@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohindra
authors.forename: Satyawati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohindra
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhawan
authors.forename: Uma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Saikia
authors.forename: Ramandeep Singh
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mankoo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005094:Exophthalmos / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008866:Microsurgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D019574:Optic Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery