Unveiling the Hidden Burden: A Systematic Review on the Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Calcified Brain Metastases.

BACKGROUND

Brain calcifications, found in various conditions, may be incidental or crucial for diagnosis. They occur in physiological changes, infections, genetic diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, vascular syndromes, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, and primary tumors like oligodendroglioma. While often incidental, their presence can be vital for accurate diagnosis. Brain metastases are the most common neoplastic lesions in adults, with their incidence increasing due to improved diagnostic tools and overall oncologic patient survival. Calcifications within brain metastases are uncommon, mostly seen in patients treated with radiation therapy (RT). Although cases of calcified brain metastasis (CBM) are reported, large recent studies are scarce and the real incidence remains unclear. This lack of data raises the risk of underestimating CBM in the differential diagnosis of brain calcifications, potentially leading to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment, particularly when calcifications are observed without prior RT.

AIM

This systematic review sought to assess the incidence of CBM in patients with identified primary tumors who underwent brain chemotherapy (CT) for staging. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the primary tumor types more frequently linked to CBM and determine whether CBM manifested initially or post-RT.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was performed across prominent medical databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase) until 20 January 2024. The employed search method incorporated pertinent Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords such as "calcification", "brain metastasis", and "CT scan". Studies included in this review were publications focusing on CBM in patients with identified primary tumors who underwent brain CT for staging.

RESULTS

In a systematic review of 39 studies on CBM in patients with identified primary tumors, 98 papers were initially identified, with 52 chosen for full-text analysis. Among them, 39 were deemed eligible after excluding 13 for various reasons. The study investigates brain calcifications in 1115 patients with metastatic disease, revealing that 7.89% had brain metastases, with 25% showing calcifications ab initio. These calcifications were more common than previously reported, emphasizing the need for attention to intraparenchymal brain calcifications in oncologic patients. Most CBM originated from lung and breast adenocarcinomas, and their correlation with primary tumor calcifications was inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the significance of identifying evolving lesions in oncologic patients, calling for increased awareness among neuroradiologists and shedding light on the prevalence and characteristics of CBM.