A case of melanotic desmoplastic ganglioglioma

We describe a case of desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma (DIG) in a 9-month-old boy located in the temporal lobe. Grossly the tumor was brown and superficially located. Histologically the tumor contained pigment in numerous neoplastic cells, shown to be melanosomal melanin by ultrastructural examination. Pigmented neoplasms have been reported at various sites in the central and peripheral nervous system. Previous reports on pigmented neuroepithelial tumors include neoplasms containing melanin, while others have contained neuromelanin and or lipofuscin. This case represents the first description of pigmented neoplastic cells in DIG, enlarging the spectrum of pigmented primary CNS tumors.