Abstract
Meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer is extremely rare. We report a case of a 67-year-old woman with paralysis of the lower extremities due to meningeal carinomatosis from breast cancer. MRI of the spinal cord showed meningeal thickening of the cervicothoracic cord. Cytology of cerebrospinal fluid suggested adenocarcinoma from breast cancer. We diagnosed this paralysis as spinal cord compression due to meningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer. Radiation and intrathecal methotrexate therapy were performed. Posttreatment MRI showed remarkable reduction of the compressive spinal cord lesion. Atypical cells of the cerebrospinal fluid also disappeared, but paralysis of the lower extremities did not improve. We believe the prognosis of a patient with meningeal carcinomatosis is poor, but early diagnosis and therapy might improve the QOL of breast cancer patients.
