SINGLE BRAIN METASTASES FROM UNKNOWN PRIMARY MALIGNANCIES IN CT-ERA

Cerebral metastases account for about half of all intracranial neoplas ms. In 33%-66% they represent the first sign of a systemic tumor. We r eport our experience in 100 patients with solitary brain metastasis fr om unknown primary malignancies treated between 1976 and 1988. All pat ients were treated surgically and 81 also received radiotherapy and ch emotherapy. Postoperative mortality was 6%. Mean survival in those pat ients with unknown primary tumor at intracranial surgery was 15.3 mont hs as compared to 31.6 months in those in whom it remained unidentifie d during life. The usual cause of death was growth of the systemic can cer.