Carcinomatous meningeosis as exclusive metastasizing pattern in a malignant thymoma.

In a 57-year-old male patient meningitic symptoms occurred. CSF cytology exhibited carcinoma cells, thus establishing the diagnosis of carcinomatous meningeosis. The primary site of the tumor or metastases were not detected intra vitam. The autopsy revealed a malignant thymoma with an exclusive metastatic participation of the leptomeninges except for some few regional lymph nodes. Cerebral metastases of malignant thymoma is an extremely rare condition.