[A rare primary tumor of the cerebellopontine angle: melanotic schwannoma, a pigmented tumor with unpredictable prognosis]. / Une tumeur primitive rare de l'angle pontocérébelleux: le schwannome mélanocytique, une tumeur pigmentée au pronostic réservé

Schwannomas are common ubiquitous benign tumours of the nervous sheaths. Among the various histopathological types, the pigmented schwannoma has to be distinguished from melanoma. We report a case of melanotic schwannoma of the cerebellopontine angle in a 52-year-old man with a slowly progressive cerebellar syndrome since 1978, who presented with a posterior cerebral fossa bleeding. Melanotic schwannoma is a rare form of schwannoma. The diagnosis remains difficult and melanotic schwannoma has been described as a part of the Carney complex. Distinguishing melanotic schwannoma from malignant melanoma is of paramount importance in planning the management, but these two tumours are probably sharing the same origin. It must be distinguished from classic schwannoma because its behaviour is unpredictable, requiring long-term follow-up.

[Pasteurella dagmatis spondylodiscitis in a diabetic patient]. / Spondylodiscite à Pasteurella dagmatis chez un diabétique.

INTRODUCTION: Healthy pets contact are able to induce unusual and severe diseases. CLINICAL CASE: This case reports the medical history of a dorsal spondylodiscitis in a diabetic patient admitted for a chronic wound of his toes. He had a long-standing history of regular consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Blood bottles and biopsy of intervertebral disc infected discovered Pasteurella dagmatis, commonly colonizing the oropharynx of healthy dogs and cats. In this case, licking of his injured toe by his dog was the likely source of entry of the organism. DISCUSSION: We found no identical cases in the medical literature. Diabetes mellitus and other immunocompromised disorders justify to change behaviours toward domestic animals.

[Primary dural lymphoma. A case report]. / Lymphome méningé primitif.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma is an invasive disease in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Atypical presentations, including leptomeningeal involvement often described in cases with aggressive histology, have been reported but primary meningeal B-cell lymphoma appears to be very rare. A 40-year-old immunocompetent man developed a voluminous frontoparietal cranial vault tumor. The neurology examination demonstrated a large extra-axial mass involving the anterior part of the superior longitudinal sinus. The tumor extended through the cranial vault, without osteolysis, and grew in the subcutaneous tissue. Craniotomy was performed and the entire mass was resected without neurological deterioration. Pathology reported B-cell lymphoma. No other localization was found. Primary B-cell meningeal lymphoma, as illustrated in this case, can be another atypical presentation of CNS lymphoma.

[Melanotic schwannoma, a tumor with a unpredictable prognosis: case report and review of the literature]. / Une tumeur de pronostic réservé: le schwannome mélanocytique. A propos d'un cas avec revue de la littérature.

A large sporadic melanotic schwannoma was found at the C2-C3 level in a 66-year-old woman who presented a pyramidal syndrome of all four limbs. The diagnosis was established by histology and immunohistochemical studies and confirmed by ultrastructural examination. Thirty-six cases of melanotic schwannoma located in the spinal cord have been reported in the literature, allowing an analysis of the different histological, clinical, and therapeutic aspects. Usually considered as benign tumor, melanotic schwannoma can recur and progress to malignancy, requiring long-term follow-up, specially in patients with multiple tumors and/or Carney's syndrome.