Objective. To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) features of meningeal carcinomatosis, and to improve the ability in understanding and diagnosing meningeal carcinomatosis by MR findings.Methods. Eleven cases with...Objective. To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) features of meningeal carcinomatosis, and to improve the ability in understanding and diagnosing meningeal carcinomatosis by MR findings.Methods. Eleven cases with proven meningeal carcinomatosis were studied by conventional and Gd - DTPA enhanced MR imaging. The enhancement patterns and features, as well as the types of meningeal involvement, were retrospectively analyzed.Results. Conventional MR imaging showed no evident meningeal abnormalities. After the administration of Gd - DTPA, abnormal pia mater enhancement was detected in 9 cases, demonstrating as the continuous, thin, and lineal high signal intensity on the brain surface that could descend into the sulci. The abnormal pial enhancement occurred on the cortical surfaces of cerebellum, brainstem, and cerebrum. No abnormal enhancement in the subarach-noid space was found. Abnormal dura - arachnoid enhancement was seen in 3 cases, showing as the continuous, thick, and curvilineal high signal intensity over the convexities or in the tentorium without extension into the cortical sulci. Cerebral dura - arachnoid involvement was found in all 3 cases and one of them also showed abnormal enhancement in cerebellar dura - arachnoid and tentorium. Of the 11 cases, 9 with pial involvement had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results, 2 involving only the dura - arachnoid had normal CSF results.Conclusion. Meningeal carcinomatosis could be well demonstrated by Gd - DTPA enhanced MR imaging, and its type could be differentiated by the enhancement features. Combined with the clinical information, Gd - enhanced MR imaging may lead to the diagnosis and guide the therapy of meningeal carcinomatosis.展开更多
Leptomeningeal involvement is usually reported as a secondary event in advanced gastric carcinoma. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), as the initial manifestation of asymptomatic gastric cancer, is exceedingly rare ...Leptomeningeal involvement is usually reported as a secondary event in advanced gastric carcinoma. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), as the initial manifestation of asymptomatic gastric cancer, is exceedingly rare with only a few cases reported in recent years. The presenting neurologic symptoms include headache, vomiting and seizures and are usually clinically atypical. The diagnosis of LMC is made via identification of malignant cells that originate from epithelial cells in the cerebrospinal fluid by cytological examination and provides cues to track the primary tumor. Endoscopic examinations are crucial to confirm the presence of gastric cancer, and imaging studies, especially gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, are sometimes helpful in diagnosis. Thus far, there is no standard therapy for LMC, and despite all measures, the prognosis of the condition is extremely poor. Here, we report on the clinical features and diagnostic procedures for a patient with occult gastric cancer with Bormann type I macroscopic appearance and poor differentiation in pathology, who presented with LMC-induced neurological symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation. Additionally, we review the similar cases reported over the past years, making comparison among cases in order to provide more information for the future diagnosis.展开更多
文摘Objective. To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) features of meningeal carcinomatosis, and to improve the ability in understanding and diagnosing meningeal carcinomatosis by MR findings.Methods. Eleven cases with proven meningeal carcinomatosis were studied by conventional and Gd - DTPA enhanced MR imaging. The enhancement patterns and features, as well as the types of meningeal involvement, were retrospectively analyzed.Results. Conventional MR imaging showed no evident meningeal abnormalities. After the administration of Gd - DTPA, abnormal pia mater enhancement was detected in 9 cases, demonstrating as the continuous, thin, and lineal high signal intensity on the brain surface that could descend into the sulci. The abnormal pial enhancement occurred on the cortical surfaces of cerebellum, brainstem, and cerebrum. No abnormal enhancement in the subarach-noid space was found. Abnormal dura - arachnoid enhancement was seen in 3 cases, showing as the continuous, thick, and curvilineal high signal intensity over the convexities or in the tentorium without extension into the cortical sulci. Cerebral dura - arachnoid involvement was found in all 3 cases and one of them also showed abnormal enhancement in cerebellar dura - arachnoid and tentorium. Of the 11 cases, 9 with pial involvement had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results, 2 involving only the dura - arachnoid had normal CSF results.Conclusion. Meningeal carcinomatosis could be well demonstrated by Gd - DTPA enhanced MR imaging, and its type could be differentiated by the enhancement features. Combined with the clinical information, Gd - enhanced MR imaging may lead to the diagnosis and guide the therapy of meningeal carcinomatosis.
基金Supported by Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China,No.20104425120009
文摘Leptomeningeal involvement is usually reported as a secondary event in advanced gastric carcinoma. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), as the initial manifestation of asymptomatic gastric cancer, is exceedingly rare with only a few cases reported in recent years. The presenting neurologic symptoms include headache, vomiting and seizures and are usually clinically atypical. The diagnosis of LMC is made via identification of malignant cells that originate from epithelial cells in the cerebrospinal fluid by cytological examination and provides cues to track the primary tumor. Endoscopic examinations are crucial to confirm the presence of gastric cancer, and imaging studies, especially gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, are sometimes helpful in diagnosis. Thus far, there is no standard therapy for LMC, and despite all measures, the prognosis of the condition is extremely poor. Here, we report on the clinical features and diagnostic procedures for a patient with occult gastric cancer with Bormann type I macroscopic appearance and poor differentiation in pathology, who presented with LMC-induced neurological symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation. Additionally, we review the similar cases reported over the past years, making comparison among cases in order to provide more information for the future diagnosis.