Intradural Intramedullary Primary Spinal Melanocytoma: A Rare Case Report

Spinal melanocytomas, first described in 1972,1 are rare pigmented tumors of the central nervous system commonly affecting females in their fifth decades. It commonly occurs in the posterior fossa, but spinal melanocytomas have also been reported in various locations with intradural intramedullary lesions being the rarest. Patients can present with varied symptomatology from mild backache, radiculopathy, to frank myelopathy like other intradural space-occupying lesions.1 They are generally benign but can be locally aggressive and very rarely can undergo malignant transformation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the investigation of choice for diagnosing melanocytomas, but histopathologic examination of the specimen is mandatory for confirming the diagnosis.2 We report a rare case of a 34-year man with an intradural intramedullary primary spinal melanocytoma who presented with vague back pain and numbness in right L2 dermatome without any other findings.