A black mass at skull base – Foramen magnum melanocytic meningioma

Abstract

Meningeal melanocytic meningiomas are rare tumors and have an estimated incidence of 1 per 10 million. These tumors arise from the leptomeningeal melanocytes, which are derived from the neural crest cells during embryonic life. We present a case of 50 year old male who presented with neck pain without any neurological deficit. MRI showed a dural based contrast enhancing lesion and underwent surgical excision. Histopathology was suggestive of melanocytic meningioma, which is a rare histological type of meningioma.

Keywords

• Meningioma
• Melanocytic meningioma
• Foramen magnum meningioma
• Pigmented meningioma