Primary undifferentiated ovarian carcinoma diagnosed by its metastasis to brain: an unusual case report.
OBJECTIVE
Intracranial metastasis of ovarian tumours is rarely seen with an incidence 0.1- 5% but simultaneous diagnosis of primary undifferentiated carcinoma of the ovary and its CNS metastasis has not been published previously.


METHODS
A 56-year-old woman presented with headache and visual disturbance. She underwent cranial MRI and abdominal ultrasound.


RESULTS
On examination, a bilateral right homonymous hemianopia and left papilledema were found. Cranial MR showed multiple ring-enhancing intracranial tumours. A right ovarian mass measuring 100x85x135 mm was discovered with abdominal ultrasound. She underwent extensive gynecological surgery. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated ovarian carcinoma which dedifferentiated from endometrioid-type ovarian adenocarcinoma. A week after gynecologic surgery, the patient underwent surgery for a left occipital tumour which proved to be anaplastic carcinoma metastasis. The patient succumbed 15 months after the diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Although metastasis from undifferentiated ovarian carcinomas to the central nervous system have been published with the CNS disease often developing long after the initial diagnosis of primary tumour; simultaneous diagnosis of primary undifferentiated carcinoma of the ovary and its CNS metastasis as described in our case may rarely occur.
Bakar
Bülent
B
MESA Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Ankara, Turkey. bulentbanrs@yahoo.com
Tekkök
Ismail Hakki
IH
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010211:Papilledema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology