Prognostic utility of neuraxis imaging in leptomeningeal metastasis (LM): A retrospective case series.

Abstract

2037 Background: Correlate imaging of the central nervous system that includes both brain and spine MRI and radio-isotope cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] flow studies with survival in a retrospective case series of patients with LM. Methods: 240 adult patients with LM (125 non-brain solid tumor patients with positive CSF cytology; 40 non-brain solid tumor patients with negative CSF cytology and MRI consistent with LM; 50 lymphoma and 25 leukemia patients with positive CSF flow cytometry), all considered appropriate for LM-directed treatment, underwent prior to treatment brain and entire spine MRI and radio-isotope CSF flow studies. Results: Median overall survival was significantly shortened in patients with large volume MRI defined disease (defined as measurable tumor > 5 x 10 mm in orthogonal diameters) and in patients with non-corrected CSF flow obstruction irrespective of primary tumor histology. Additionally, cause of death differed wherein patients with large volume of disease or uncorrected obstructed CSF flow more often died of progressive LM disease whereas patients with normal or small volume disease and patients with normal or re-established CSF flow more often died of progressive systemic disease. Conclusions: Neuraxis imaging utilizing brain and spine MRI as well as radio-isotope CSF flow studies appears to have prognostic significance and may be predictive of median overall survival in this large cohort of patients with LM all of whom were considered for treatment with LM.