Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

A case of meningeal carcinomatosis due to the ethmoid sinus mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Yuichi Hayashi, M.D.1), Zenjiro Matsuyama, M.D.1), Michinori Murai, M.D.2), Kuniyasu Shimokawa, M.D.3), Yuhei Amano, M.D.1), Tatsuma Hashizume, M.D.1), Hiroshi Nishida, M.D.1), Isao Hozumi, M.D.1) and Takashi Inuzuka, M.D.1)

1)Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, 2)Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Neuroscience, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine
3)Department of Pathology, Yamauchi Hospital

We report here a 65-year-old man with ptosis, diplopia, and progressive lower limb muscle weakness without nasal symptoms. CA19-9 and CEA were elevated in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen (SCC) was not. CA19-9-positive atypical cells were found in the CSF. A right ethmoidal tumor was discovered by paranasal CT and 18F-Deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) studies. The ethmoidal tumor invaded to the orbits and disseminated into the CSF space through the cribriform plate. Biopsy demonstrated that the paranasal tumor consisted of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. We report here the first case of meningeal carcinomatosis due to mucoepidermoid carcinoma in the ethmoid sinus.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 45: 422|425, 2005)
key words: mucoepidermoid carcinoma, ethmoid sinus, CA19-9, meningeal carcinomatosis, paranasal CT

(Received: 7-Jul-04)