Slow Progression of Calcified Cerebellar Metastasis From Ovarian Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Published in: Neurologia medico-chirurgica Vol. 53; no. 10; pp. 722 - 726
• Main Authors: KAWAMURA, Daichi, TANAKA, Toshihide, FUGA, Michiyasu, YANAGISAWA, Takeshi, TOCHIGI, Satoru, IRIE, Koreaki, HASEGAWA, Yuzuru, ABE, Toshiaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japan Neurosurgical Society 2013; THE JAPAN NEUROSURGICAL SOCIETY
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - complications; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - pathology; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - secondary; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - surgery; Adult; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; calcified metastasis; Calcinosis - diagnostic imaging; Calcinosis - etiology; Calcinosis - surgery; Case Report; cerebellar; Cerebellar Neoplasms - complications; Cerebellar Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Cerebellar Neoplasms - secondary; Cerebellar Neoplasms - surgery; Combined Modality Therapy; Cranial Irradiation; Craniotomy; Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxycytidine - therapeutic use; Disease Progression; Encephalocele - etiology; Encephalocele - surgery; Female; Humans; Hydrocephalus - etiology; Hydrocephalus - surgery; Hysterectomy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Ovariectomy; surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0470-8105; 1349-8029
• DOI: 10.2176/nmc.cr2012-0271

The report describes a rare case of a patient with a calcified cerebellar metastasis arising from a primary ovarian cancer. The patient was a 33-year-old woman with a long history of stage IIIc ovarian cancer who had undergone transabdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy with gemcitabine hydrochloride. Incidentally, computed tomography (CT) revealed a cerebellar tumor with calcification. The size of the tumor gradually increased, and lateral suboccipital craniotomy was performed for gross total removal of the tumor. The histological diagnosis was ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged two days after surgery. Brain metastases from ovarian cancer are rare. In the review of metastatic brain tumors arising from a primary ovarian cancer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at our institution, this phenomenon was noted in only 10 cases (0.24%) of 4,158 patients with ovarian cancer seen at our center over a period of 8 years. Moreover, only three cases of calcified metastatic brain tumor have been reported previously. In conclusion, complete tumor resection may be an acceptable approach for patients with calcified metastatic tumors both for therapeutic considerations and to obtain tissue for confirmation of histopathological diagnosis. Metastatic brain tumors can be calcified, and should be considered within the differential diagnosis of calcified intracranial lesions to avoid any delay in diagnosis or treatment.