Metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer to Meckel’s cave with leptomeningeal spread at time of diagnosis

Abstract

Highlights Rare case of aggressive epithelial ovarian cancer with brain metastasis at time of initial diagnosis. First reported case of epithelial ovarian cancer with invasion of Meckel’s cave. Increasing numbers of ovarian cancer with brain metastasis in uncommon sites of recurrence.

Ovarian Cancer Metastasis to the Central Nervous System: A Literature Review

“…Most ovarian cancers arise from the epithelial layer that surrounds the ovary [ 6 ]. One of the second most common and highly aggressive epithelial layer cancers is epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) [ 7 ]. Patients who present with this type of cancer, at the time of diagnosis, show metastasis beyond the ovaries to other parts of the body [ 7 ].…”

“…One of the second most common and highly aggressive epithelial layer cancers is epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) [ 7 ]. Patients who present with this type of cancer, at the time of diagnosis, show metastasis beyond the ovaries to other parts of the body [ 7 ]. Typically, these tumor cells don’t present in the brain at the time of diagnosis, only in rare circumstances.…”

“…However, it has been speculated that the route of access to the brain and spinal cord could be due to the tumor cell’s ability to penetrate the vascular barrier, invade the parenchyma, or spread along the perineurium from cranial or spinal nerves [ 8 ]. Once the tumor cells invade the CSF, they can then begin to manifest themselves in the cerebral hemispheres, particularly the frontal lobe, as well as the spinal cord [ 2 , 7 , 8 ]. Metastasis to the spinal cord has been hypothesized to originate from ovarian cancer tumor cells detaching themselves from the primary tumor and traveling, either in cell clusters or in singles, within the peritoneal fluid into the peritoneum and omentum [ 9 ].…”