Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma: Case report and review of literature

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases are very rare and usually associated with lung or breast cancer, with gastric origin being exceptional. Their clinical onset tends to be faster than that of primary intramedullary tumours. The most common early symptoms of intramedullary spinal cord metastasis are motor deficit in one or more limbs, pain, sensory loss, and sphincter disturbances. The appearance of a rapidly progressive Brown-Sequard syndrome in an oncology patient should orientate the diagnosis of this condition. The prognosisis very poor, with a median survival of 4 months. However, recent research has shown that surgery could offer a slight benefit in survival and functionality. The case is reported of a 61-year-old man with an intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from a gastric carcinoma, as well as a literature review of this topic. It has been found that this case is the fourth one reported in the literature. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Sociedad Espanola de Neurocirugia.