title: Meningeal carcinomatosis as the first manifestation of a transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
abstract: Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) as first manifestation of a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder is rare. We report a 66-year-old man, smoker, who presented with two episodes of secondarily generalized partial motor seizures. The routine blood test, brain computed tomography (CT) scan, brain magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram were normal. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) revealed a significant pleocytosis and a morphology compatible with non-differentiated non-small cell carcinoma. Broncofiberscopy, gastrofiberscopy, thoracicoabdominopelvic CT-scan and bone scintigraphy were normal but the urine cytology revealed malignant cells similar to those found in the CSF. TCC was diagnosed by cystoscopy and later necropsy confirmed the MC of this tumor. In this report we review the literature and analyze patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 35078jbe@comb.es
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruna
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rojas-Marcos
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Yelamos
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Català
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidaller
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.forename: Jurek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krupinski
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rubio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000556:secondary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000556:secondary*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology*