Brain stem vascular malformation simulating a hemorrhagic metastasis: report of a case with pathologic correlation.
A 65-year-old woman with known breast carcinoma developed headaches, followed shortly by disequilibrium, vertical diplopia and dysarthria. Cranial computerized tomography (CCT) demonstrated a dense, irregularly enhancing pontine lesion with associated mass effect. She received dexamethasone (Decadron) and radiotherapy and subsequently expired. Postmortem examination disclosed a ruptured brain stem arteriovenous malformation within a massive hemorrhage along with necrotic atypical cells suggestive of metastatic disease.
D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000473:pathology*; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology*