Melanotic medulloblastoma in children.

PURPOSE

We report a case of melanotic medulloblastoma in a child. Reviewing the literature, we discuss the characteristics, therapeutic method, and prognosis of melanotic medulloblastoma in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 2-year-old girl was admitted with a mass located in the pineal region and presented obstructive hydrocephalus. The mass was subtotally resected through a slit-corpus-fornix approach. Thereafter, intraoperative direct third ventriculostomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis of the mass suggested melanotic medulloblastoma.

RESULTS

The MRI done at 4 days after surgery showed that the lateral ventricle normalized and the hydrocephalus was resolved. Thereafter, the patient underwent a Gamma Knife. The patient recovered well during the 8-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Melanotic medulloblastoma is a malignant tumor of childhood. It usually occurs at young age and might involve the vermis cerebelli, the fourth ventricle, and the pineal region. Surgery combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy is recommended for children. But, it still requires observation to determine their long-term prognosis.