[Evaluation of emergency craniotomy for the treatment of patients with intracranial metastases of choriocarcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To study the diagnosis, management and prognosis of intracranial metastases of gestational trophoblastic tumour (GTT) patients who had emergency surgical decompression due to highly increased intracranial pressure.


METHODS
Ninety-three patients with intracranial metastases of gestational trophoblastic tumour were hospitalized in our department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1985 to 2004. Thirteen of them who underwent emergency craniotomy were retrospectively analyzed, and all of them presented with raised intracranial pressure and intracerebral haemorrhagic mass.


RESULTS
Of the thirteen patients who underwent surgery in combination with multiagent systemic chemotherapy, seven achieved complete remission (CR), five had partial remission (PR), and one died of disease progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Emergency surgical treatment is the important method of choice for brain metastasis in patients displaying rapidly deteriorating signs. An undetermined intracranial haemorrhage in young female patients of reproductive age group should raise the suspicion of cerebral metastatic choriocarcinoma.
Yang
Juan-jun
JJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
Xiang
Yang
Y
Yang
Xiu-yu
XY
Wan
Xi-run
XR
Wang
Ren-zhi
RZ
Ren
Zu-yuan
ZY
Yin
Hong-mei
HM
Guo
Wei-dong
WD
Ou
Xiao-mu
XM
D000328:Adult; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult