Intracerebral malignant melanoma presenting as an Arteriovenous Malformation: case report and literature review

Abstract

Background: The authors introduced a rare case of intracranial malignant melanoma. Case presentation: A 32 year-old male patient presented to the hospital with signs and symptoms commonly seen in the presentation of a hemorrhagic stroke. The patient was diagnosed as having an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) after a thorough history, physical examination and radiographic imaging were performed and assessed. However, intraoperative findings and postoperative histopathology findings revealed that the supposed AVM was in fact a malignant melanoma, appearing as an AVM of the brain, on radiographic imaging. Conclusion: After reviewing related literature, our team realized that it was a rare finding for a melanoma pretending as a brain AVM.

Malignant Melanoma within a Cellular Blue Nevi Presenting as a Vascular Malformation and the Connection to Sporadic KRAS Mutations

“…Currently in the literature, there are 7 reports of MM isolated from various types of vascular malformations (Table 1). 2/7 of the cases were MM developing within a vascular malformation [4, 5], while 5/7 of cases were MM mimicking a vascular malformation located in the orbit [6] or intracranially [7, 9]. Testicular choriocarcinoma and small-cell lung cancer have also been reported to be found developing within arteriovenous malformations [8, 10].…”

“…Lee et al [6] reported 2 cases of primary orbital melanoma mimicking vascular malformations. Three cases of MM presented as intracranial hemorrhages of vascular malformations [7, 9]. El-Sawy et al [11] describe 3 cases of primary orbital melanoma with cellular blue nevus features.…”

“…There are currently 7 cases reported in the literature of MM mimicking or presenting within various types of vascular malformations, indicating a possible link in development [4-9]. We present a rare case of a 47-year-old male diagnosed with a subcutaneous MM arising from a congenital blue nevus presenting as a venous malformation.…”

How Can Federally Qualified Health Centers Ensure A Streamlined Referral Process?

“…Malignant Melanoma commonly metastasises to the brain and is highly vascular [1]. Metastatic intracranial deposits mimicking vascular pathologies such as an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) have been reported in literature but are rare [2][3][4]. We report a case of an intracranial melanoma metastasis presenting with arteriovenous shunting mimicking an AVM, highlighting the importance of sending all intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) specimens for histopathological confirmation.…”