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Chu et al. Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2017;4:1-5 Neuroimmunology and
DOI: 10.20517/2347-8659.2016.23
Neuroinflammation

www.nnjournal.net
Original Article Open Access

Meningeal carcinomatosis: a retrospective

analysis of seventy-seven cases

Feng-Na Chu, Yue Lang, Xiao-Min Sun, Li Cui

Neuroscience Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, China.
Correspondence to: Prof. Li Cui, Neuroscience Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, China.
E-mail: chuili1967@126.com
How to cite this article: Chu FN, Lang Y, Sun XM, Cui L. Meningeal carcinomatosis: a retrospective analysis of seventy-seven cases.
Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2017;4:1-5.
Prof. Li Cui, Doctoral Supervisor, is working in the First Hospital of Jilin University, now is a committee member of the
Infection and Cerebrospinal Fluid Group of Chinese Medical Association Neurology Branch and Chinese Medical Doctor
Association. Now she undertakes several scientific researches including NSFC.

ABSTRACT

Article history: Aim: Meningeal carcinomatosis is a special type of malignant tumor characterized by short
Received: 20-05-2016 survival and poor prognosis. In the present study, the authors aim to analyze the clinical,
Accepted: 19-12-2016 laboratory data and prognosis of meningeal carcinomatosis patients. Methods: The authors
Published: 20-01-2017 enrolled 77 cases of meningeal carcinomatosis from 2003 to 2013 in the First Hospital of Jilin
University. The clinical data including age, gender, symptoms at onset, clinical manifestations,
Key words: primary tumors and the laboratory data including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), tumor markers as
Meningeal carcinomatosis, well as the imaging data were analyzed. The interval between the onset of primary tumor and the
cerebrospinal fluid, onset of central nervous symptoms, treatments and survival time were also analyzed. Results:
magnetic resonance imaging, The onset of meningeal carcinomatosis was usually acute (46.2%) or subacute (39.0%). The
therapy most frequent symptom at onset was intracranial hypertension (70.1%). Symptoms such as
headache, vomit and high lumbar puncture intracranial pressure was observed in 56% of cases
during the course of the disease. CSF abnormalities such as higher protein concentration
(73.4%), more CSF pleocitosis (57.1%) and lower glucose levels (48.4%) were found in 95.3%
of meningeal carcinomatosis patients. Non-contrast enhanced cerebral magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) showed that 13.2% patients had abnormal meningeal changes while in the
enhancement scan 35.3% patients showed changes. The serum tumor markers increased in 84%
of the patients. There were no differences regarding the mean survival between patients who
received intrathecal chemotherapy and those who received brain radiotherapy or supportive
treatment. Conclusion: The most common clinical manifestation of meningeal carcinomatosis
is intracranial hypertension. The most common primary tumor is lung cancer, followed by
gastric cancer and breast cancer. The linear enhancement of meningeal on the MRI scan is of
great importance for the diagnosis of meningeal carcinomatosis.
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