Korean J Spine.  2017 Jun;14(2):53-56. 10.14245/kjs.2017.14.2.53.

Late-Developing Metastatic Malignant Melanoma in the Thoracic Spine Originating from Choroidal Melanoma

• Hwang JK
• Kim KH
• Kim JS
• Ahn SJ
• Kuh SU

• KMID: 2386205
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2017.14.2.53

Abstract

A 54-year-old woman visited Gangnam Severance Hospital for left side flank pain. She had a history of total removal of malignant melanoma on the left eye ball 20 years prior. No evaluation had been performed since then. A paravertebral mass at thoracic ninth level (T9) was discovered on spinal magnetic resonance imaging, and pathology confirmed malignant melanoma. Following positron emission tomography-computed tomography, no other metastasis was discovered. After removal of the paravertebral mass, palliative chemotherapy (dacabarzine + tamoxifene) was administered in 3 cycles over 2 months. Radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost technique was performed at 4,350 cGy total over 15 days, 290 cGy per delivery, and was administered with the first cycle of palliative chemotherapy. Despite this treatment, multiple metastases developed throughout her body 7 months later, and the patient is continuing chemotherapy.

Keyword

Choroidal tumor; Malignant melanoma; Spine metastasis

MeSH Terms

Choroid*
Drug Therapy
Electrons
Female
Flank Pain
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Melanoma*
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Metastasis
Pathology
Radiotherapy
Spine*