Primary intracranial melanoma--case report.

We present a rare case of primary intracranial melanoma in the right occipital region of a 76-year-old male. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an isointensity mass with shorter T1 and T2 relaxation times than those of the opposite hemisphere. A well-defined, dark black tumor was totally removed and histologically diagnosed as malignant melanoma. Eight months postoperatively, however, the tumor recurred and was excised again. He was doing well 1 year after the second operation without additional treatment. In our case, 1) no systemic melanomas were found in close clinical examinations; 2) there was a single nodular tumor attached to the leptomeninges; and 3) a favorable outcome was obtained by surgical treatment alone. These results are consistent with the diagnosis of primary intracranial melanoma.