What causes Primary melanoma of the central nervous system ?
What causes primary melanoma of the central nervous system? Although the exact cause of this condition is unknown, researchers have identified somatic mutations in the the GNAQ gene in 7 of 19 patients (37 percent) with primary malignant melanocytic tumors of the central nervous system. Somatic mutations are not inherited but occur during a person's lifetime. This mutation makes the Gnaq protein constantly active. The same mutation has been identified in approximately half of patients with intraocular melanoma.