Case of the Week
Section Editors: Matylda Machnowska1 and Anvita Pauranik2
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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December 17, 2007
Breast Metastasis to the Pineal Gland
- Most Common tumors to metastasize t the pineal gland: lung, breast, kidney, cervical, esophageal, gastric and colon
- Seen in up 3-5% of patients with solid tumors (relatively high incidence may be due to absence of BBB in pineal gland).
- In 60% of these patients, the pineal lesion antedates the diagnosis of the primary cancer.
- Most common symptoms: headache, encephalopathy, Parinaud, hydrocephalus
- 67% of pineal metastasis patients also show leptomeningeal tumor spread.