Letter to the Editor: “Post-selection Psychological Assessment for Neurosurgical Training: Is It Worth the Penny?”

Abstract

Intradural extramedullary metastatic melanoma is a rare entity with only 13 other cases reported in the literature.1 Of these, only 3 have been described in the cervical spine.2, 3, 4 Metastatic melanoma to the brain has historically portended a grim prognosis; however, due to the paucity of reported intradural lesions, the clinical course, including surgical findings, is less well known.This video illustrates a case of a 59-year-old man with new left arm pain and numbness found to have cervical intradural extramedullary metastatic melanoma (Video 1). This video also demonstrates surgical principles and techniques for removal of a rare cervical intradural extramedullary melanoma metastasis using standard cervical laminectomy with intraoperative ultrasound for tumor localization. Considering its rarity, visualizing the intraoperative resection is important for surgeons who may potentially treat such pathology.Patient consented for the procedures and for publication of the video.