Abstract
Carcinomatous meningitis is clinically less common than brain metastasis or spinal cord compression, but has dire consequences for both the quality of life and the overall survival of patients with various kinds of malignancies. It occurs in about 5% of all adult cancer patients, though autopsies may double this number. The primary tumors that frequently cause carcinomatous meningitis include lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma. Carcinomatous meningitis secondary to primary tumors in the gastrointestinal tract is clinically infrequent. In this report, we describe a 73-year-old man with lower bile duct cancer, who developed carcinomatous meningitis following surgical resection of the primary cancer. To our knowledge, this is the third case of carcinomatous meningitis secondary to cholangiocarcinoma described in the literature so far.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kuroki T, Fukuda K, Tajima Y, Matsuzaki S, Kitajima T, Furui J, et al. Parapapillary choledochoduodenal fistula associated with cholangiocarcinoma. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 2005;12:143–146.
Wakahara T, Tsukamoto T, Kitamura S, Watanabe A, Tsujimura T, Nakamura Y, et al. Metastatic colon cancer from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 2005;12:415–418.
Huffman JL, Yeatman TJ, Smith JB. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis: a sequela of cholangiocarcinoma. Am Surg 1997;63:310–313.
Thomas JE, Falls E, Velasco ME, Zaher A. Diagnostic value of immunocytochemistry in leptomeningeal tumor dissemination: a report of two cases. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2000;124:759–761.
Zachariah B, Zachariah SB, Varghese R, Balducci L. Review: carcinomatous meningitis: clinical manifestations and management. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1995;33:7–12.
Higes PF, Beroiz GP, Bravo GA, Palomo MV, Cuevas SJ. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis as presenting symptom of a gallbladder carcinoma (in Spanish with English abstract). Rev Neurol 2000;30:841–844.
Wasserstrom WR, Glass JP, Posner JB. Diagnosis and treatment of leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumor: experience with 90 patients. Cancer 1982;49:759–772.
Gasecki AP, Bashir RM, Foley J. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis: a report of three cases and review of the literature. Eur Neurol 1992;32:74–78.
McCrary JA, Patrinely JR, Font RL. Progressive blindness caused by metastatic occult signet-ring gastric carcinoma. Arch Ophthalmol 1986;104:410–413.
Jaeckle KA, Batchelor T, O’Day SJ, Phuphanich S, New P, Lesser G, et al. An open label trial of sustained-release cytarabine (DepoCyt) for the intrathecal treatment of solid tumor neoplastic meningitis. J Neurooncol 2002;57:231–239.
Nagai E, Shinohara M, Yonemasu H, Kishikawa H, Tsuneyoshi M. Undifferentiated carcinoma of the common bile duct: case report and review of the literature. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 2002;9:627–631.
Albores-Saavedra J, Henson DE, Klimstra DS. Tumor of the gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampulla of Vater. In: Rosai J, Sobin LH, editors. Atlas of tumor pathology. Sections 6–13. Washington DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; 2000. p. 61–215.
Kokkoris CP. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, how does cancer reach the pia-arachnoid? Cancer 1983;51:154–160.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Okamura, Y., Harada, A., Maeda, A. et al. Carcinomatous meningitis secondary to cholangiocarcinoma without other systemic metastasis. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 15, 237–239 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-007-1249-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-007-1249-y