Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis Secondary to Adenocarcinoma of the Breast: A Cadaveric Case Report

A rare complication of metastatic breast cancer, leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) was discovered during routine cadaveric dissection of a 57-year-old Caucasian female who died from breast cancer metastasis to the brain. This pathology develops in only 5% of patients with metastatic breast cancer and presents with a number of neurological deficits. Progressive neurologic dysfunction is fatal, with a median survival of 10 to 15 weeks. In this case study, we examine the gross and microscopic features of LC and document the infiltration of metastatic cells into the brain parenchyma along the Virchow-Robin spaces.