Journal de médecine générale

Drop Metastasis Seeding the Intramedullary Conus Medullaris in a Patient with Breast Cancer and Brain Metastasis

Abstract

Jung-Ying Chiang and Der-cherng Chen

Breast cancer metastasis to the conus medullaris is very rare. We report a case of intra-axial conus medullaris metastasis from breast adenocarcinoma in a 39-year-old woman. Two years after the diagnosis of brain metastasis was biopsy-proven, she developed progressive lower limb weakness with urinary incontinence for one month. MRI revealed a contrast-enhancing intramedullary lesion at the conus medullaris. Laminectomy and removal of the tumor were performed for decompression and for preserving function. Postoperative histopathological examinations confirmed the metastatic nature of the lesion. We discuss the possibility of drop metastasis traveling from the brain to the conus medullaris via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the central canal. Since intramedullary spinal cord metastasis can lead to rapid progressive neurological deficits and poor outcome, early diagnosis and decompression could preserve the quality of life. We suggest that CSF cytology could be helpful for the diagnosis of intraspinal metastasis in patients with brain metastasis.