title: Bilateral sphenoid wing metastases of prostate cancer presenting with extensive brain edema.
abstract: A 76-year-old man insidiously developed diffuse neurological symptoms: cognitive decline, dysphagia, dysphasia and mental disturbance. Computed tomography of the cranium revealed widespread bilateral brain edema and symmetrical bilateral sphenoid wing hyperostosis. Adjacent to the hyperostosis that resembled skull base meningiomas, two separate parenchymatous temporal lobe lesions enhancing with contrast medium were observed. The patient had earlier been diagnosed to have prostatic carcinoma. Dexamethasone therapy resulted in discontinuation of the neurological symptoms. The diagnosis of metastasized adenocarcinoma of the prostate was confirmed histologically on autopsy after a sudden death from pneumonia. Intracranial metastases of prostate cancer may have a predilection site at the sphenoid wing, and can mimic a skull base meningioma. Intracranial spread of prostatic adenocarcinoma should be considered in elderly men as a treatable cause of gradual neurological deterioration, especially if cranial malignancy or hyperostosis is found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, 00290 Helsinki, Finland. perttu.lindsberg@huch.fi
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lindsberg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatlisumak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tienari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brander
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013100:Sphenoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed