Liquid Biopsy with Detection of NRAS(Q61K) Mutation in Cerebrospinal Fluid: An Alternative Tool for the Diagnosis of Primary Pediatric Leptomeningeal Melanoma

Primary leptomeningeal melanoma (PLMM) is a very rare disease in childhood with a poor prognosis. NRAS(Q16K) mutation frequently drives malignant transformation in this population, so its evaluation should be considered in childhood PLMM diagnosis. In the presented case, the mutation was detected by Sanger sequencing performed on DNA extracted from cerebrospinal fluid neoplastic cells. Liquid biopsy has been shown to be a safe and reliable technique for the diagnosis of PLMM. Its use can potentially be extended to other neoplasms of the central nervous system bearing well-defined molecular mutations, sparing the patient invasive surgery and finally allowing a more rapid diagnosis and early initiation of targeted therapies.