Primary Melanoma of the Pineal Gland Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Pineal-region tumors are a histologically heterogeneous group of tumors and represent a rare occurrence, accounting for less than 1% of all adult intracranial tumors. Among these, primary pineal malignant melanomas (PPM) represent an even rarer entity, with only twenty-five cases being reported in the literature to date. We present the case of a 65-year-old patient who presented in our department for progressive headache, gait disturbance and memory impairment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed a solid mass in pineal region, measuring 2.2 × 1.2 × 2.0 cm and causing obstructive hydrocephalus. He underwent a third ventriculostomy, but we failed to obtain a sample for diagnostic purposes. The intraoperative surprise was the presence, at the level of the third ventricle, of multiple melanin deposits, which were not picked up by the MRI. Although the biopsy could not be performed and had to be obtained by stereotactic biopsy in a second intervention, the endoscopy findings allowed for the correct staging of the intracranial disease and appropriate treatment management.