title: Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy in the skull: a case report.
abstract: Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rarely occurring neoplasm of neural crest origin, appearing in children during the first year of life. MNTI is a benign tumor but is nonetheless locally aggressive; it usually originates from the maxilla and the mandible. Recognition of the diagnostic features of MNTI is important, so that it may be differentiated from benign lesions (dermoid or epidermoid cysts, vascular lesions) as well as from malignant lesions such as small round cell tumors. We present a case of a 2-month-old infant who developed right retroauricular swelling with extension through the calvarium and into the central nervous system. The tumor was totally resected. Aggressive benign or malignant lesions of the calvarium may entail dural infiltration and brain involvement, as in our case. Early diagnosis and surgery are thus mandatory for benign or malignant tumors of the calvarium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery , Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Private Denizli Surgery Hospital, Denizli, Turkey. s_gocmen@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kocaoğlu
authors.forename: Selçuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Göçmen
authors.forename: Özkan
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Çeliker
authors.forename: Duygu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Çeliker
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Topçu
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çoşkun
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000175:diagnosis; D017600:Neuroectodermal Tumor, Melanotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*