Sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss caused by meningeal carcinomatosis secondary to occult malignancy: report of two cases.
Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) is an uncommon form of metastasis of solid tumors. In the absence of clinical meningeal or parenchymal involvements, the sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as the starting symptom of MC is very infrequent. We report the history of two patients affected by MC who presented first with progressive SNHL. In both cases the early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding mimicked bilateral masses in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Only the histopathologic result and surgical biopsy in cases 1 and 2, respectively, identified masses secondary to occult malignancy. However the available investigations could not discover the primary site of metastatic carcinoma. Despite the poor prognosis, because of the rarity and severity of MC we consider important to make known our experience in order to consider metastatic tumors in the differential diagnosis for sudden SNHL.
Marchese
Maria Raffaella
MR
Institute of Otorhinolaringology, Policlinico A. Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito, 8, 00168 Roma, Italy. raffaellamarchese@yahoo.it
La Greca
Carmelo
C
Conti
Guido
G
Paludetti
Gaetano
G
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055756:Meningeal Carcinomatosis / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*