Rainov N G, Burkert W
Department of Neurosurgery, Martin-Luther-University Halle, Germany.
Zentralbl Neurochir. 1996;57(1):20-4.
Malignant melanoma represents the third most common cause for central nervous system metastases after breast and lung cancer. Whereas breast, lung and kidney metastases are predominantly solitaire, malignant melanoma metastasizes often in a multiple way. Nevertheless, only about 5% of the patients with multiple melanoma metastases have more than five intracerebral metastatic lesions. The case of disseminated carcinomatous cell spreading throughout the brain is called "miliary metastases" or "carcinomatous encephalitis". This condition is very rare and correlated with a poor prognosis. We describe the case of a female patient with neuroradiologically diagnosed miliary brain metastases occurring five years after surgical excision of a forearm malignant melanoma. The clinical signs, diagnosis, and etiology of this rare phenomenon are discussed.
恶性黑色素瘤是继乳腺癌和肺癌之后中枢神经系统转移的第三大常见病因。乳腺癌、肺癌和肾癌转移灶多为单发，而恶性黑色素瘤常以多发形式转移。然而，仅有约5%的多发黑色素瘤转移患者脑内转移灶超过5个。癌细胞播散至全脑的情况称为“粟粒性转移”或“癌性脑炎”。这种情况非常罕见，且预后不良。我们报道了一例女性患者，在前臂恶性黑色素瘤手术切除五年后经神经放射学诊断为脑粟粒性转移。本文讨论了这一罕见现象的临床症状、诊断及病因。
