Malignant subdural effusion associated with disseminated adenocarcinoma: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Subdural effusion in the setting of dural metastasis is very rare and may be difficult to be distinguished from chronic subdural hematoma.


METHODS
A 44-year old woman with gastric adenocarcinoma was presented with headache and a hypodense subdural collection in right fronto-parietal in brain CT. Burr-hole irrigation was performed with the impression of chronic subdural hematoma, but nonhemorrhagic xantochromic fluid was evacuated without malignant cell. Brain CT on the 11th day depicted fluid re-accumulation and noticeable midline shift, necessitating craniotomy and removing the affected dura.


CONCLUSIONS
Because the affected dura can be supposed as the main source of subdural effusion, resection of the involved dura is obligatory for the appropriate palliative management of such patients.
Mirsadeghi
Seyed Mohammad Haji
SM
Department of Neurosurgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. zohreh_h56@yahoo.com.
Habibi
Zohreh
Z
Meybodi
Keyvan Tayebi
KT
Nejat
Farideh
F
Tabatabai
Seyed Ali Fakhr
SA