Primary cervical melanoma with brain metastases. Case report and review of the literature.

Primary intramedullary melanoma is a very rare tumor that occurs most frequently in the middle or lower thoracic spinal cord. The authors present a case of primary cervical cord melanoma that developed in a 62-year-old man who was surgically treated and subsequently underwent radiation therapy. Clinical and histogenetic features of this neoplasm and results of chemo-. radio-, and immunotherapy are reported. Both "dysembryogenetic" and "mesodermal" hypotheses on the origin of primary spinal melanoma are discussed.