Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Carcinomatous meningitis from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: Case report

  • Published:
Journal of Neuro-Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In the past decade, there has been an increasing awareness of central nervous system metastases as a frequent complication of some malignancies, particularly in lung, breast and hematologic cancers. However, the central nervous system remains an uncommon location for metastases from certain primary tumors including those from the genitourinary system. We report on a patient with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who was treated with combination chemotherapy, and during the course of his disease developed carcinomatous meningitis. We anticipate this unusual complication of bladder transitional cell carcinoma will be seen more frequently, especially in the light of available data from effective chemotherapeutic regimens. We report this patient to alert physicians to this complication and to consider using prophylactic measures in responding patients as is the case in other malignancies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Huster HD, Aur RJA, Verzosa MS, Simone JV, Pinkel D: Prevention of central nervous system leukemia by irradiation. Cancer 32: 585–597, 1973

    Google Scholar 

  2. Simone J: Acute lymphocytic leukemia in childhood. Sem Hematol 11: 25–29, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bunn Jr PA, Scheen PS, Banks PM, DeVita Jr VT: Central nervous system complications in patients with diffuse histiocytic and undifferentiated lymphoma: leukemia revisited. Blood 47: 3–10, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wasserman WR, Glass JR, Posner JB: Diagnosis and treatment of leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors: Experience with 90 patients. Cancer 49: 759–772, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  5. Little JR, Dale AJ, Okazaki H: Meningeal carcinomatosis. Clinical manifestations. Arch Neurol 30: 138–143, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  6. Olson ME, Chernik NL, Posner JR: Infiltration of the leptomeninges by systemic cancer. A clinical and pathologic study. Arch Neurol 30: 122–137, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  7. Theodore WH, Gendelman S: Meningeal carcinomatosis. Arch Neurol 38: 696–699, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kokkoris CP: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. How does cancer reach the pia-arachnoid? Cancer 51: 154–160, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gonzales-Vitale JC, Garcia-Bunuel R: Meningeal carcinomatosis. Cancer 37: 2906–2911, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  10. Nugent JL, Bunn Jr PA, Matthews MJ, Ihde DC, Cohen MH, Gazdar A, Minna JR: CNS metastases in small cell bronchogenic carcinoma: Increasing frequency and changing pattern with lengthening survival. Cancer 44: 1885–1893, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  11. Rosen ST, Aisner J, Makuch RW, Matthews MJ, Ihde DC, Whitacre M, Glatstein EJ, Wiernik PH, Lichter AS, Bunn Jr PA: Carcinomatous leptomeningitis in small cell lung cancer: a clinicopathologic review of the National Cancer Institute experience. Medicine 61: 45–53, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  12. Benham K, Aguilera AJ, Kornfeld M, Jordan SW, Hilgers RD: Meningeal carcinomatosis from an ovarian primary: A clinicopathologic study. Gynecol Oncol 19: 104–109, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  13. Marsa GW, Johnson RE: Altered pattern of metastasis following treatment of Ewing's sarcoma with radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer 27: 1051–1054, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  14. Whitwell F, Rawcliffe RM: Diffuse malignant mesothelioma and asbestos exposure. Thorax 26: 6–22, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  15. Arnheim FK: Carcinoma of the prostate: A study of postmortem findings in one hundred and seventy-six cases. J Urol 60: 599–603, 1948

    Google Scholar 

  16. Schiffman FJ, Bernard NJ: Carcinoid tumor of the gastrointestinal tract with metastases to the brain. Arch Intern Med 142: 1717–1719, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  17. Patchell RA, Posner JB: Neurologic complications of carcinoid. Neurology 36: 745–749, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mandell S, Wernez J, Morales P, Weinberg H, Steinfeld A: Carcinomatous meningitis from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Urology 25: 520–521, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hust MH, Pfitzer P: Cerebrospinal fluid and metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Acta Cytologica 26: 217–223, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  20. Whitmore Jr WF, Batata MA, Ghoneim H,Grabstald H, Unal A: Radical cystectomy with or without irradiation in the treatment of bladder cancer. J Urol 118: 184–187, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ross JA, Newall J: Unusual metastases in bladder carcinoma. J R Coll Surg Edinb 6: 51–54, 1960

    Google Scholar 

  22. Goldman S, Fujardo A, Narval R, Madewell J: Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: radiographic manifestations. AJR 132: 419–425, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  23. Steinfeld AD, Zelefsky M: Brain metastasis from carcinoma of bladder. Urology 19: 375–376, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  24. Leadbetter WF, Colstom JA: Brain metastasis in carcinoma of the bladder. J Urol 38: 267–277, 1937

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sulmoni A, Spiess J, Hauri D: Die Metastasierung des Blasenkarzinomas. Helv Chir Acta 40: 463–465, 1963

    Google Scholar 

  26. Yagoda A: Chemotherapy of urothelial tract tumors. Cancer 60: 574–585, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Niramol Savaraj

  2. Department of Oncology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Atif M. Hussein, Niramol Savaraj & Lynn G. Feun

  3. Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Parvin Ganjei

  4. Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Niramol Savaraj & Elizabeth Donnelly

  5. Papanicolaou Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Niramol Savaraj & Parvin Ganjei

  6. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Atif M. Hussein & Lynn G. Feun

Authors
  1. Atif M. Hussein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Niramol Savaraj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lynn G. Feun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Parvin Ganjei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Elizabeth Donnelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hussein, A.M., Savaraj, N., Feun, L.G. et al. Carcinomatous meningitis from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: Case report. J Neuro-Oncol 7, 255–260 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172919

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172919

Key words

Search

Navigation