title: [Spinal cord metastases in lung cancer: a clinical review of four cases].
abstract: We report 4 cases of spinal cord metastases of lung cancer detected by MRI. Histologically, 3 of the 4 cases were small cell carcinoma and the other was adenocarcinoma. All 3 cases of small cell carcinoma had neoplastic meningitis. MRI taken in these cases showed the multiple nodules in the cauda equina, which were seeded from brain metastases. One of them had intramedullary spinal cord metastases, which appeared as enlargement of the spinal cord or nodules in the spinal cord on MRI. Leg paralysis and incontinence progressed in all cases. The other case of adenocarcinoma had epidural spinal cord compression due to spinal metastasis. In this case irradiation and corticosteroids relieved her leg and back pain. Spinal cord metastases should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with numbness, pain or weakness in the extremities.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
authors.forename: Hiroomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yuba
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Shigekuni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosogi
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osugi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yokomura
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*
chemical_list: D019786:Gadolinium DTPA