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Vol.48 No.4 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Case Report -
Intramedullary Spinal Code Metastases from Small Cell Lung Cancer Detected by Positron Emission Tomography
Kyohei Kaburaki1, Kazutoshi Isobe1, Fumiaki Ishida1, Shinji Sakaguchi1, Yujiro Takai1, Sakae Homma11Department of Respiratory Medicine, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Japan
Background. Intramedullary spinal code metastasis from lung cancer is a rare but serious complication with rapidly progressing neurological disturbances. Case. A 65-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with right submandibular node swelling. Small cell lung cancer in the left lower lobe with right submandibular lymph node metastasis (cT2N1M1, ED) was diagnosed. Four cycles of systemic chemotherapy with cisplatin and irinotecan resulted in a complete response. Muscle weakness and numbness of his leg rapidly progressed one year after of chemotherapy. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) demonstrated abnormal accumulations in cervical and thoracic spinal lesions. The MRI showed 4 abnormal nodular areas in the intramedullary cervical and thoracic spinal code. He was diagnosed as having multiple intramedullary spinal code metastases from small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide combined with radiotherapy resulted in a partial response. Neurological disturbances such as muscle weakness and numbness of leg were also improved. Conclusion. FDG-PET was useful in detecting the intramedullary spinal code metastases from lung cancer.
key words: Lung cancer, Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis, Magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography
Received: February 13, 2008
Accepted: April 21, 2008
JJLC 48 (4): 279-284, 2008
