Histology:

Leptomeningeal spinal metastases - black tumor.

MACROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION:

1. "Thoracic spine tumor": Four pieces of brown to black polypoid tissue between 3mm and 6mm. A1. 2. "Thoracic spine tumor": Three brown to black tissue fragments 3mm, 4mm and 10mm. A1.

MICROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION:

1,2. The sections show features of malignant tumor, forming sheets. The tumor cells are plump spindled in appearance. They have enlarged pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli and moderate amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm. Some of the tumor cells contain brown pigment in their cytoplasm. No evidence of lymphovascular invasion is seen. The tumor cells are SOX-10 and melan-A positive. The features are those of melanoma.

DIAGNOSIS: 1,2. Thoracic spine tumor: Metastatic melanoma.