One case of meningeal carcinomatosis with initial symptoms of dizziness, headache and acute sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

We reported a case of meningeal carcinomatosis associated with preceding symptoms of dizziness, headache and acute sensorineural hearing loss. A 66- year- old man complaining dizziness and headache was admitted to a local hospital and referred to our hospital as his condition was not improved. He was diagnosed as acute bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Since the patient did not respond to steroid therapy, tumor marker testing was performed and showed a high CEA value, 531 ng/ml. Further examinations revealed gastric cancer (signet ring cell carcinoma) with intracranial metastases of the tumor cells. It was concluded that enhanced head MRI, tumor marker testing and repeated spinal fluid examinations should be necessary when intracranial metastases of a malignant tumor was suspected even in case of acute sensorineural hearing loss.