Central nervous system metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a report of two patients and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an extremely rare occurrence, although direct intracranial invasion is not infrequent in patients with NPC at a locally advanced stage. Only five other patients have been reported in detail in the English literature.

METHODS

The clinical records of two such patients with NPC who were diagnosed with metastasis to the spinal cord (intradural) and to the occipital lobe, respectively, were reviewed. The literature was searched for a review of similar incidents.

RESULTS

Both patients had locally advanced disease at the time of presentation and were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical radiotherapy. The CNS metastases in both patients were accompanied by disease recurrences in multiple sites after a prolonged period of clinical remission. Spread through cerebral spinal fluid was postulated for the patient with spinal cord metastasis, and hematogenous spread was postulated for the patient with brain metastasis. Aggressive surgical resection with or without postoperative radiotherapy conferred reasonable survival and symptom control. The patient with brain metastasis died 6 months later of lung metastasis, whereas the other patient is still alive 40 months from the diagnosis of spinal metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Good symptom control and disease control can be achieved for patients with CNS metastasis after surgery with or without radiotherapy. After aggressive therapy, the ultimate survival depends on control of extracranial disease.