Carcinomatous meningitis from adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Carcinomatous meningitis from uterine cervix-related malignancies is a rare complication. We found only eight cases of meningeal metastasis from primary cervical carcinoma in the English-language medical literature. However, its incidence has increased recently, probably because carcinomatous meningitis is being identified more often and survival time for the primary disease is extended. Thus, the clinical signs and methods for diagnosis are of great importance. A 47-year-old Japanese woman had a stage IIIb uterine cervical adenocarcinoma. She chose initial chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Ten months after initial chemotherapy and 6 weeks after the last chemotherapy, she suddenly presented with unexplained neurological signs. We performed a lumbar puncture, which demonstrated adenocarcinoma cells compatible with metastases from the primary cervical adenocarcinoma. She died 7 weeks later. This rare complication occurs in the advanced stage of cervical cancer. Lumbar punctures for neoplastic cells are advised, and the prognosis remains poor.