scholarly journals Hemorrhagic Brain Metastases: A Diagnostic Dilemma and Diagnosis of Exclusion

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukta Meel ◽  
Mukesh Kumar Bhaskar ◽  
Arpita Jindal
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Clinical Outcome ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Pleomorphic Carcinoma ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Diagnostic Challenge ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma ◽  
Delay In Diagnosis ◽  
Primary Lung Carcinoma

AbstractPleomorphic carcinoma is a malignant and aggressive primary lung carcinoma that occurs at a rate of approximately 0.3%. This rarely encountered tumor may present a diagnostic challenge to neuroradiologists and pathologists, as it has propensity to present as hemorrhagic brain metastasis with unknown primary and result in delay in diagnosis that could impact clinical outcome. Herein, we report a unique case in its presentation in a 56-year-old female, having symptomatic brain metastasis prior to the discovery of the pulmonary lesion.

scholarly journals A Case of Radiation-Induced Multifocal Laryngeal Angiosarcoma Presenting as a Diagnostic Dilemma

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayme R. Dowdall ◽  
Krisha J. Opfermann ◽  
Harold Kim ◽  
Ho-Sheng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Diagnostic Challenge ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma ◽  
Multiple Biopsies ◽  
Endothelial Proliferation ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
Previously Treated

Head and neck sarcomas are relatively rare tumors, with angiosarcomas representing a small subset. Angiosarcoma is a malignant endothelial neoplasm characterized by atypical, multilayered, or solid endothelial proliferation with vasoformative architecture. The global incidence of irradiation-associated sarcoma is estimated as between 0.03% and 0.08%. Here we reported the case of an elderly woman previously treated with radiation more than 20 years ago for an unknown primary of head and neck. This interesting case presented as a diagnostic challenge, and multiple biopsies were required to eventually establish the diagnosis of laryngeal angiosarcoma. We additionally have confirmation from our prior radiation records that the patient did, in fact, receive a substantial dose of radiation to the site previously. To our knowledge, this case represents the first report of a documented radiation-induced multifocal laryngeal angiosarcoma.

The Role of Tumor Size in the Radiosurgical Management of Patients with Ambiguous Brain Metastases

Neurosurgery ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric L. Chang ◽  
Samuel J. Hassenbusch ◽  
Almon S. Shiu ◽  
Frederick F. Lang ◽  
Pamela K. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Local Control ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Tumor Volume ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Peripheral Dose

Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify a size cutoff below which it is safe to observe obscure brain lesions suspected of being metastases so that treatment of nonmetastases can be avoided. METHODS Medical records from patients who underwent linear accelerator-based radiosurgery from August 1991 to October 2001 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were defined as brain metastasis tumor volume less than 5 cm3 (diameter, ∼2.1 cm) treated with a dose of 20 Gy or more. One hundred thirty-five patients had 153 evaluable brain metastases with follow-up imaging that met inclusion criteria. Median age was 54 years (range, 18–79 yr). Lesion primaries were non-small-cell lung (n = 39), melanoma (n = 44), renal (n = 37), breast (n = 18), colon (n = 3), sarcoma (n = 5), other (n = 5), and unknown primary (n = 2). Median tumor volume was 0.67 cm3 (range, 0.06–4.58 cm3). The minimum peripheral dose was 20 Gy (n = 132) or 21 to 24 Gy (n = 21). At the time of analysis, the median follow-up for all patients was 10 months (range, 0.2–99 mo). RESULTS The 1- and 2-year actuarial local control rates for all of the lesions were 69 and 46%, respectively. For lesions of 1 cm (0.5 cm3) or less, the corresponding local control rates were 86 and 78%, respectively, which was significantly higher than the corresponding rates of 56 and 24%, respectively, for lesions larger than 1 cm (0.5 cm3) (P = 0.0016). CONCLUSION A convincing brain metastasis measuring less than 1 cm should be pursued aggressively. If the suspected brain metastasis is ambiguous, observation is proposed up to a diameter of 1 cm. This is the first study in the literature to identify a 1-cm cutoff for radiosurgical control of small brain metastases, and validation by additional studies is required.

Short-course irradiation as adjuvant treatment of surgically resected single brain metastases

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2067-2067
Author(s):  
M. A. Alrefae ◽  
D. Roberge ◽  
L. Souhami
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Surgical Resection ◽  
Local Failure ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Whole Brain Irradiation ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Brain Irradiation ◽  
Short Course ◽  
Single Brain Metastasis

2067 Background: Surgical resection followed by whole-brain irradiation is a standard treatment approach for patients with a single brain metastasis from solid tumours. As short-course hypofractionated irradiation has proven equivalent to more protracted schedules for the palliative treatment of brain metastasis, it has been commonly applied in the adjuvant setting. Methods: By reviewing our pathology database, we identified patients having undergone complete neurosurgical resection of a single brain metastasis followed by short-course (4–6 fractions) whole-brain irradiation. Irradiation was delivered using standard lateral-opposed megavoltage radiation portals. Local failure and new brain metastases were identified by chart and imaging study reviews. All outcomes were calculated actuarially. Results: Between March 2000 and August 2005, 50 patients received short-course whole-brain irradiation (20 Gy in 5 fractions in 41 of 50 cases) following complete surgical resection of a single brain metastasis. The most common primary malignancies were lung (66%), breast (14%), and cancer of unknown primary origin (10%). Median age was 60 years. Imaging studies were available for all patients and a preoperative MRI was reviewed in 94% of cases. Median follow-up for living patients was 30.0 months. The median overall survival was 10.92 months (29% at 2 years). Following radiation, failure at the surgical site was seen in 51% and 79% of patients at 1 and 2 years. New metastases elsewhere in the brain developed in 26% and 53% of these patients at 1 and 2 years. Conclusions: When calculated actuarially, local failure and new brain metastases were common following surgery and short-course whole-brain radiation therapy. In part, this may represent inefficacy of the short hypofractionated radiation scheme. Further investigation into the local and systemic treatment of these patients is warranted. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

scholarly journals Brain Metastases from Endometrial Carcinoma

ISRN Oncology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ettie Piura ◽  
Benjamin Piura
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Endometrial Carcinoma ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Whole Brain Radiotherapy ◽  
Endometrial Biopsy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Brain Radiotherapy ◽  
Disseminated Disease

This paper will focus on knowledge related to brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma. To date, 115 cases were documented in the literature with an incidence of 0.6% among endometrial carcinoma patients. The endometrial carcinoma was usually an advanced-stage and high-grade tumor. In most patients (~90%), brain metastasis was detected after diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma with a median interval from diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma to diagnosis of brain metastases of 17 months. Brain metastasis from endometrial carcinoma was either an isolated disease limited to the brain only (~50%) or part of a disseminated disease involving also other parts of the body (~50%). Most often, brain metastasis from endometrial carcinoma affected the cerebrum (~75%) and was solitary (~60%). The median survival after diagnosis of brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma was 5 months; however, a significantly better survival was achieved with multimodal therapy including surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery followed by whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and/or chemotherapy compared to WBRT alone. It is suggested that brain imaging studies should be considered in the routine follow up of patients with endometrial carcinoma and that the search for a primary source in females with brain metastases of unknown primary should include endometrial biopsy.

scholarly journals SURG-10. The evolving role of neurosurgery for central nervous system metastases in the era of personalized medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii25-iii25
Author(s):  
Philipp Karschnia ◽  
Emilie Le Rhun ◽  
Stefan J Grau ◽  
Matthias Preusser ◽  
Riccardo Soffietti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Personalized Medicine ◽  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Surgical Resection ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Mixed Response

Abstract Background Novel therapies translating into improved survival of patients with advanced cancer have emerged. The number of metastases in the central nervous system is therefore seen to increase. Neurosurgery assumes an expanding role within multi-disciplinary care structures for such patients. Methods We performed a comprehensive literature review on the current status of neurosurgery for brain metastases patients. Based on the extracted data, we developed a review from experts in the field on the role of brain metastasis surgery in the era of personalized medicine. Results Traditionally, three metastases were considered the cutoff to offer surgical resection. With respect to the clinical status, the resection of a symptomatic mass may nowadays be considered even in presence of multiple tumors in a multimodal setting: surgical resection of brain metastasis provides immediate relief from mass effect-related symptoms and histology in case of unknown primary tumor; surgery may help stabilizing the disease, thus enabling further therapy; and in situations where immunotherapy is considered and non-surgical management would require long-term steroid administration, surgery may also provide expeditious relief of edema and reduction of needs for steroids. In patients with multiple brain metastasis and mixed response to non-surgical therapy, tumor resampling may allow tissue analysis for expression of molecular tumor targets. In patients with leptomeningeal dissemination and consecutive hydrocephalus, ventriculo-peritoneal shunting improves quality of life but also allows for time to administer more therapy thus prolonging survival. Addressing the limited efficacy of many oncological drugs for brain metastases, clinical trial protocols in which surgical specimens are analyzed for pre-surgically administered agents may offer pharmacodynamic insights. Conclusion Comprehensive neurosurgical care will have to be an integral element of multi-disciplinary oncological centres providing care to patients with brain metastases to improve on therapy and tumour biology research.

scholarly journals Brain Metastases from Unknown Primary or Primary Brain Tumor: A Diagnostic Dilemma

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philiz Goh ◽  
Sarah Campos ◽  
Philip Davey ◽  
Amanda Hird ◽  
Bryn Pressnail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Primary Brain Tumor ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma

scholarly journals A LONG SURVIVAL OF A PATIENT WITH BRAIN METASTASIS OF UNKNOWN SITE OF THE PRIMARY TUMOR

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Ben Kridis ◽  
S Sghaier ◽  
N Toumi ◽  
Z Boudawara ◽  
A Khanfir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Primary Tumor ◽  
Good Prognosis ◽  
Primary Site ◽  
Unknown Primary ◽  
Long Survival ◽  
Difficult Diagnosis

Eighty percent of brain metastases (BM) are diagnosed in patients with known primary site of cancer. BM of unknown primary represents a difficult diagnosis. In up to 15% of patients with BM, the site of the primary tumor will not be detected despite investigations. The prognosis of this entity is very poor. We report here a case of a long survival of a patient with brain metastasis of unknown primary. The conclusion that can be drawn is that within BM of unknown primary exist patients with a very good prognosis that must be collected and published in order to base recommendations.

Gamma Knife surgery for multiple brain metastases from a malignant schwannoma of the penis

2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 238-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albertus T. C. J. van Eck ◽  
Gerhard A. Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Malignant Schwannoma ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Single Brain Metastasis ◽  
Therapy Option

✓The occurrence of brain metastases from a malignant schwannoma of the penis is extremely rare. In patients with a single brain metastasis, microsurgical extirpation is the treatment of choice and verifies the diagnosis. In cases of multiple or recurrent metastases, radiosurgery is an effective and safe therapy option. Gamma Knife surgery was performed in a patient who had previously undergone tumor resection and who presented with recurrence of the lesion and three de novo brain metastases. This first report on brain metastasis from a malignant penile schwannoma illustrates the efficacy and safety of radiosurgical treatment for these tumors.

Tumor recurrence and survival following gamma knife surgery for brain metastases

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 287-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Mindermann
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Tumor Recurrence ◽  
Patient Survival ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Recurrence Rates ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors evaluated prognostic factors for tumor recurrence and patient survival following gamma knife surgery (GKS) for brain metastasis. Methods. A retrospective review of 101 patient charts was undertaken for those patients treated with GKS for brain metastases from 1994 to 2001. Recurrence rates of brain metastasis following GKS depended on the duration of patient survival. Long-term survival was associated with a higher risk of tumor recurrence and shorter-term survival was associated with a lower risk. The duration of survival following GKS for brain metastases seems to be characteristic of the primary disease rather than the cerebral disease. Conclusions. Recurrence rates of brain metastasis following GKS are related to duration of survival, which is in turn mostly dependent on the nature and course of the primary tumor.

196 Checkpoint blockade therapy for brain-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a comparative effectiveness analysis of national data

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A211-A211
Author(s):  
Nayan Lamba ◽  
Bryan Iorgulescu
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Advanced Nsclc ◽  
Small Cell ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Small Cell Lung ◽  
Survival Analyses ◽  
Stage 4 ◽  
Insured Patients

BackgroundManagement of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has been transformed by PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), with FDA approvals in 2015 (second-line) and 2016 (first-line). Despite ~40% of NSCLC patients developing brain metastases, these patients were disproportionately excluded from the pioneering ICI trials. Thus herein we evaluate the overall survival (OS) associated with ICI in NSCLC brain metastases nationally.MethodsPatients newly-diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC, including brain metastases, from 2010–2016 were identified from the National Cancer Database (comprising >70% of all newly-diagnosed cancers in the U.S.) Landmark survival analysis was used to address immortal time bias. Post-approval, median time from diagnosis to ICI was 58 days, and this timepoint was selected for all landmark survival analyses (OS estimated by Kaplan-Meier technique, and compared by logrank test and multivariable Cox regression) and for multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of ICI utilization.Results50,858 patients presented with advanced NSCLC that involved the brain: representing 27.6% of all newly-diagnosed stage 4 cases. Following initial FDA approvals in 2015, ICI use in brain metastasis patients rose from 7.2% in 2015 to 12.7% in 2016. OS for NSCLC brain metastasis patients diagnosed post-approval (i.e. 2015, median 6.3 months, 95% [confidence interval] CI: 6.0–6.6) was substantially better than those diagnosed pre-approval (median 5.5 months, 95%CI: 5.4–5.7, p<0.001) and, in fact, than those diagnosed in 2014 (median 5.9 months, 95%CI: 5.6–6.1, p=0.002). Among patients diagnosed post-approval (in 2015, n=7,431), ICI receipt demonstrated substantially improved OS in landmark survival analyses (median 13.8 months, 95%CI: 12.2–15.1; vs. 8.5 months, 95%CI: 8.3–8.9, p<0.001) – benefits which persisted in multivariable landmark survival analyses (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95%CI: 0.71–0.96, p=0.02), independent of patient characteristics, other therapies, and extracranial disease. For patients diagnosed post-approval, who reached the landmark timepoint, ICI receipt was independent of patient demographics, socioeconomic status, and hospital type—with the exception of Medicaid-insured patients, who were less likely than privately insured patients to receive ICI (OR 0.77, 95%CI: 0.60–0.97, p=0.03).ConclusionsNationally, the use of ICI for NSCLC brain metastasis patients is increasing, generally without significant socioeconomic barriers. Brain metastasis patients diagnosed in the post-approval second-line ICI era (2015) demonstrated significantly better OS than patients diagnosed pre-approval and even than patients diagnosed only in 2014. ICI was associated with a >60% relative increase in median OS. Together our findings from a real-world population demonstrate that the dramatic OS benefits of ICIs for advanced NSCLC also extended to brain metastasis patients.

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