Intramedullary melanotic schwannoma of the cervicomedullary junction

We report a case of a patient with an intramedullary tumor of the cervicomedullary junction. At operation, the tumor was noted to be highly pigmented, and pathological study demonstrated that the tumor was a melanotic schwannoma. Both intramedullary schwannomas and melanotic schwannomas in any location in the body are exceedingly rare. This is the first reported case of an intramedullary melanotic schwannoma of the central nervous system. The possible origin of this tumor is discussed.