March 2000: 5 month old boy with occipital bone mass - Diagnosis - Melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy.

The March COM: A 5 month old boy was found by his mother to have a bony mas s behind the left ear which extended intracranially on MRI scan. At surgery it was entirely extradural in location. Microscopically, a biphasic appear ance consisting of large pigmented cells arranged into tubules and small no npigmented basophilic veils arranged into nests gave rise to a diagnosis of melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy [MNETI]. One year after a wide local excision the patient is tumor-free and developing normally. The prog nosis for MNETI in general is excellent with no requirement for additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy.