title: Perineural tumour spread from colon cancer, an unusual cause of trigeminal neuropathy--a case report.
abstract: Malignant trigeminal neuralgia due to perineural spread along the branches of the trigeminal nerve, is known to commonly occur secondary to squamous cell carcinomas, lymphomas and adenoid cystic carcinomas in the head and neck region. Rarely metastases to the trigeminal nerve have been reported in breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. To the best of our knowledge trigeminal neuropathy due to skull base metastases and perineural spread along the maxillary (V2) and mandibular (V3) branches of the trigeminal nerve, secondary to colon cancer, has not been previously reported. The diagnosis in our index case was made on magnetic resonance imaging, and patient was treated accordingly by fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, with subsequent relief of her pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kuwait Cancer Control Center, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Al-Sabah Medical complex, Zain ENT Hospital and Kuwait Cancer control center, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Beltagi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010166:Palliative Care; D016634:Radiosurgery; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D020433:Trigeminal Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: colon cancer; magnetic resonance imaging; perineural spread; skull base; trigeminal neuralgia