Biomaterial Database

Blindness as initial manifestation of meningeal carcinomatosis in breast cancer. 1979

R Cantillo, and J Jain, and A Singhakowinta, and V K Vaitkevicius

The sudden onset of blindness in adults, with or without a history of malignancy should raise the possibility of meningeal carcinomatosis. The diagnosis is best confirmed with examination of the spinal fluid. The actual mechanism by which blindness occurs is probably a combination of tumor cuffing around the optic nerve, direct infiltration and chronic papilledema. We are reporting two patients with disseminated breast cancer who presented with blindness as the first manifestation of meningeal involvement. Treatment with whole brain radiation and intrathecal Cytosine Arabinoside produced temporary remissions, but both died a few months later of their cancer.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008577	Meningeal Neoplasms	Benign and malignant neoplastic processes that arise from or secondarily involve the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord.	Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasms,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasms,Benign Meningeal Neoplasms,Leptomeningeal Neoplasms,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasms,Meningeal Cancer,Meningeal Neoplasms, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasms, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasms, Malignant,Meningeal Tumors,Neoplasms, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasms, Meningeal,Benign Meningeal Neoplasm,Cancer, Meningeal,Cancers, Meningeal,Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasm,Leptomeningeal Neoplasm,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Cancers,Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Neoplasm, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasm, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasm, Malignant,Meningeal Neoplasm, Spinal,Meningeal Neoplasms, Spinal,Meningeal Tumor,Neoplasm, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasm, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasm, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasm, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasm, Meningeal,Neoplasm, Spinal Meningeal,Neoplasms, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasms, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasms, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasms, Spinal Meningeal,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasm,Tumor, Meningeal,Tumors, Meningeal
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001766	Blindness	The inability to see or the loss or absence of perception of visual stimuli. This condition may be the result of EYE DISEASES; OPTIC NERVE DISEASES; OPTIC CHIASM diseases; or BRAIN DISEASES affecting the VISUAL PATHWAYS or OCCIPITAL LOBE.	Amaurosis,Bilateral Blindness,Blindness, Bilateral,Blindness, Legal,Blindness, Monocular,Blindness, Unilateral,Sudden Visual Loss,Unilateral Blindness,Blindness, Acquired,Blindness, Complete,Blindness, Hysterical,Blindness, Transient,Acquired Blindness,Amauroses,Bilateral Blindnesses,Complete Blindness,Hysterical Blindness,Legal Blindness,Monocular Blindness,Sudden Visual Losses,Transient Blindness,Visual Loss, Sudden
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
D003561	Cytarabine	A pyrimidine nucleoside analog that is used mainly in the treatment of leukemia, especially acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia. Cytarabine is an antimetabolite antineoplastic agent that inhibits the synthesis of DNA. Its actions are specific for the S phase of the cell cycle. It also has antiviral and immunosuppressant properties. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p472)	Ara-C,Arabinofuranosylcytosine,Arabinosylcytosine,Cytosine Arabinoside,Aracytidine,Aracytine,Cytarabine Hydrochloride,Cytonal,Cytosar,Cytosar-U,beta-Ara C,Ara C,Arabinoside, Cytosine,Cytosar U,beta Ara C
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man