Newly Developed Weakness of Lower Extremities Despite Improved Brain Metastasis of Lung Cancer after Radiotherapy.
10.4046/trd.2009.67.6.574
- Author:
Jae Hyun YANG
1
;
Young Joo JANG
;
Se Jin AHN
;
Hye Ryoun KIM
;
Cheol Hyeon KIM
;
Jae Soo KOH
;
Du Hwan CHOE
;
Jae Cheol LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea. jclee@kcch.re.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Spinal Cord
- MeSH:
Brain;
Death, Sudden, Cardiac;
Humans;
Lower Extremity;
Lung;
Lung Neoplasms;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Middle Aged;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Prognosis;
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma;
Spinal Cord;
Spine
- From:Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
2009;67(6):574-576
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
An intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) rarely develops in systemic cancer but is indicative of a poor prognosis. A 56-year-old man was admitted due to weakness of the lower extremities. He had received radiotherapy 3 months prior for a brain metastasis that had developed 1 year after achieving a complete response from chemotherapy for extended stage small cell lung cancer. Although the brain lesion had improved partially, ISCM from the cervical to lumbar-sacral spinal cords, which was accompanied by a leptomeningeal dissemination, was diagnosed based on magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. Finally, he died of sudden cardiac arrest during treatment. This is the first case of ISCM involving the whole spinal segments. Physicians should be aware of the subsequent development of ISCM in lung cancer patients with a previously known brain metastasis who present with new neurological symptoms.
