A case report of a patient with inoperable primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis treated with whole-brain radiotherapy and pembrolizumab |
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| Authors: | Patrik Palacka Jan Slopovsky Marek Makovnik Karol Kajo Jana Obertova Michal Mego |
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| Affiliation: | a2nd Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia;bNational Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia;cDepartment of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia;dDepartment of Pathology, St. Elisabeth Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia. |
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| Abstract: | Rationale:Primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis (PDLM) is a rare disease that affects melanocytes in the leptomeninges. There is very limited data on the efficacy of immunotherapy in this setting.Patient concerns:A patient (23 years old) was diagnosed with PDLM. Histologically, atypical melanocytic cells were also observed.Diagnosis:Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for S100 protein, NKiC3, and vimentin, and negativity for Melan-A and HMB-45, with a proliferation index of 30%. Extracranial disease was excluded using dermatological and other examinations, including positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose.Interventions:The patient was treated with whole-brain radiotherapy (10 fractions to a total dose of 30 Gy) concomitantly with pembrolizumab and then continued with immunotherapy until disease progression with a maximum effect of partial remission on magnetic resonance imaging scans.Outcomes:Progression-free survival was 6.0 months and overall survival 6.5 months.Lessons:This is one of the few case reports of an adult patient with this rare malignancy being treated with a programmed death-1 inhibitor with partial response. Immunotherapy in metastatic PDLM may be a reasonable therapeutic option. |
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| Keywords: | pembrolizumab primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanoma whole-brain radiotherapy |
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