Central Nervous System Miliary Brain Metastasis Secondary to Breast Cancer

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2020-08, Vol.12 (8), p.e9649-e9649
• Main Authors: Santos Vázquez, Gabriel, Garcia Cázarez, Ricardo, Moreno Pizarro, Erick, Serrano Padilla, Aarón Emanuel, Plascencia Salcedo, Juan Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Neurology; Oncology
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.9649

Miliary metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS) is a rare presentation of metastasis mainly found in primary adenocarcinoma of the lung. Its association with breast cancer is even less frequent. We present the case of a 50-year-old female patient diagnosed in 2010 with stage IIA infiltrating ductal breast cancer RE (-), RP (+), HER 2 (-), HER2 NEU (+). She was treated with modified radical left breast mastectomy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Her condition began presenting oppressive frontal headache without irradiation, predominantly in the evening, intensity 8/10, which decreased when sleeping and was exacerbated with stressful situations, in addition to progressive cognitive deterioration. Simple and contrasted computed tomography (CT) of the skull and thoracoabdominal were requested, showing multiple micronodular lesions with calcium density in the brain parenchyma, left pleural effusion, hypo and hyperdense lesions in the liver parenchyma, as well as osteoblastic lesions in the lumbar spine. Simple and contrasted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the skull showed multiple supra and infratentorial intra-axial lesions. The most frequent associated symptom with miliary metastasis is cognitive impairment. Miliary metastasis, confirmed by imaging studies and histopathology, requires the ruling out of other causes of this calcification pattern, such as neurocysticercosis, due to specific treatment for each pathology.