Biomaterial Database

Metastatic breast cancer presenting as sequential cranial nerve palsy: a case report. 2014

Indira M Madgula, and Christopher M Hemmerdinger, and Peter Clark

Ophthalmology Department, Warrington Hospital, Lovely Lane, Warrington WA5 1QG, UK. indiramadgula@yahoo.co.uk.

BACKGROUND Cranial nerve palsy is a common presentation in the neuro-ophthalmology clinic and investigations are directed towards the cause. Metastatic breast cancer presenting as carcinomatous meningitis leading to sequential fourth, third and sixth nerve palsy is very rare. This is the first case to be reported to the best of our knowledge. METHODS A 66-year-old Caucasian woman presented with vertical double vision for the previous 3 weeks. At 6-weeks follow up this had resolved. However, she presented with a new third and sixth cranial nerve palsy. Neuroimaging with contrast revealed carcinomatous meningitis. CONCLUSIONS Metastatic cancer may manifest as cerebral metastases or carcinomatous meningitis. This is evident on neuroimaging with contrast and may be missed on unenhanced scans.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D003389	Cranial Nerve Diseases	Disorders of one or more of the twelve cranial nerves. With the exception of the optic and olfactory nerves, this includes disorders of the brain stem nuclei from which the cranial nerves originate or terminate.	Cranial Neuropathies,Cranial Neuropathies, Multiple,Neuropathies, Cranial,Cranial Nerve Disorders,Cranial Nerve Palsies,Nervus Cranialis Disorders,Cranial Nerve Disease,Cranial Nerve Disorder,Cranial Nerve Palsy,Cranial Neuropathy,Cranial Neuropathy, Multiple,Multiple Cranial Neuropathies,Multiple Cranial Neuropathy,Nervus Cranialis Disorder,Neuropathies, Multiple Cranial,Neuropathy, Cranial,Neuropathy, Multiple Cranial,Palsies, Cranial Nerve,Palsy, Cranial Nerve
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D044584	Carcinoma, Ductal	Malignant neoplasms involving the ductal systems of any of a number of organs, such as the MAMMARY GLANDS, the PANCREAS, the PROSTATE, or the LACRIMAL GLAND.	Ductal Carcinoma,Carcinomas, Ductal,Ductal Carcinomas
D055756	Meningeal Carcinomatosis	Primary or secondary neoplasm in the ARACHNOID or SUBARACHNOID SPACE. It appears as a diffuse fibrotic thickening of the MENINGES associated with variable degrees of inflammation.	Carcinomatous Meningitis,Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis,Carcinomatoses, Leptomeningeal,Carcinomatoses, Meningeal,Carcinomatosis, Leptomeningeal,Carcinomatosis, Meningeal,Carcinomatous Meningitides,Leptomeningeal Carcinomatoses,Meningeal Carcinomatoses,Meningitides, Carcinomatous,Meningitis, Carcinomatous