title: Primary Intradural Extramedullary Spinal Melanoma in the Lower Thoracic Spine.
abstract: Background Context. Up to date, only four cases of primary intradural extramedullary spinal cord melanoma (PIEM) have been reported. No previous reports have described a case of PIEM located in the lower thoracic spine with long-term follow-up. Purpose. Demonstrating an unusual, extremely rare case of melanoma manifestation. Study Design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methods. We report a case of a 57-year-old female suffering from increasing lower extremity pain, left-sided paresis, and paraesthesia due to spinal cord compression caused by PIEM in the lower thoracic spine. Results. Extensive investigation excluded other possible primary melanoma sites and metastases. For spinal cord decompression, the tumor at level T12 was resected, yet incompletely. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered two weeks after surgery. The patient was recurrence-free at 104 weeks after radiotherapy but presents with unchanged neurological symptoms. Conclusion. Primary intradural extramedullary melanoma (PIEM) is extremely rare and its clinical course is unpredictable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hering
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bresch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lobsien
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf-Dieter
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kortmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seidel