Surgical resection of a cerebral metastasis from cervical cancer: case report and review of the literature

Aims and background: Central nervous system metastasis from cervical carcin oma is uncommon. Case report: We report the case of a 51-year-old woman who developed a soli tary cerebral metastasis 29 months after radical hysterectomy with pelvic l ymphadenectomy for a stage IB, grade III cervical cancer. The patient sudde nly complained of headache, confusion and dizziness; she was submitted to e mergency surgical resection of a 2x3 cm metastasis in the right frontal lob e. The postoperative course was uneventful and she completely recovered fro m her neurological deficit. Following surgery the patient underwent careful restaging. Massive bilateral involvement of the pelvic wall was diagnosed, and the patient received three courses of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Sh e developed liver and lung metastases and died 10 months later of progressi ve disseminated disease, without, however, any sign of recurrent or persist ent cerebral involvement. Conclusion: Neurosurgical resection should be considered in cervical cancer patients with solitary brain metastasis in the absence of systemic disease .