title: Carcinomatous meningitis: clinical manifestations and management.
abstract: Carcinomatous meningitis (CM) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. During the past 15 years, diffuse leptomeningeal metastases of extracranial malignant tumors have been increasingly reported [Wasserstrom et al. 1982, Theodore and Gendelman 1981, Little et al. 1974, Olson et al. 1974, Yaphey et al. 1978, Sorensen et al. 1984], CM is increasing in frequency because of improved survival of patients with systemic anti neoplastic therapies and increased awareness of this problem among physicians. In this review, we will be discussing the epidemiology, etiology, pathology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of carcinomatous meningitis, as well as the status of recent basic and clinical investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zachariah
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zachariah
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balducci
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008581:Meningitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis