Published online Feb 7, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i5.651
Peer-review started: November 14, 2017
First decision: December 6, 2017
Revised: December 10, 2017
Accepted: December 26, 2017
Article in press: December 26, 2017
Published online: February 7, 2018
Processing time: 78 Days and 14.3 Hours
Dural metastasis from primary gastric adenocarcinoma has been rarely reported, and its prognosis is very poor because it frequently leads to acute subdural hematoma. Here, we describe a case with sequential spinal and cranial dural metastases from gastric adenocarcinoma without subdural hematoma. A 43-year-old woman with gastric adenocarcinoma and well-controlled peritoneal carcinomatosis presented with back pain, right radiating leg pain, left facial palsy, and hearing loss. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and brain revealed dural masses at the lumbosacral junction with invasion to the L5 and S1 nerve roots and at the skull base with invasion to the internal auditory canal. She was treated with local radiotherapy, and her pain and neurologic symptoms improved after palliative radiotherapy. This is the first reported case of dural metastases of gastric adenocarcinoma of the spine and skull base but with a relatively indolent course and without subdural hematoma.
Core tip: Although gastric adenocarcinoma can metastasize to almost any organ, metastasis to the dura mater is rarely reported. Here, we report a rare and clinically meaningful case of dural metastases to the spine and skull base from gastric adenocarcinoma that was treated with palliative local radiotherapy. This is the first reported case of dural metastases of gastric adenocarcinoma of the spine and skull base with involvement of the surrounding structures but with a relatively indolent course and without subdural hematoma. Local radiotherapy was effective for the relief of neurologic symptoms.