Urothelial cell carcinoma presenting with rapid visual deterioration, a case of rare brain metastases with unique clinical presentation.

BACKGROUND

Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC), the most common cancer of the urinary system, rarely metastasizes to the brain. 1-3 More rare still is the subset of patients with urothelial carcinoma brain metastases whose UCC primary is first diagnosed at the same time as their CNS metastatic disease, with oncologic workup prompted by CNS clinical manifestations.4 Paraneoplastic optic neuropathy (PON) is likewise a rare clinical entity, which has not yet been described in association with UCC brain metastases.

CASE DESCRIPTION: Herein, we present the sentinel case of UCC believed to be of endometrial origin in an 81 year old woman initially presenting with symptoms of fatigue, nausea, vertigo, and rapidly deteriorating vision over the course of 1 month. Visual deterioration prompted neuro imaging remarkable for multiple supratentorial and infratentorial metastases as well as likely neoplastic inflammatory involvement of the bilateral optic nerves. The patient underwent a right temporal open brain biopsy, with pathology findings consistent with UCC. Subsequent PET scanning demonstrated a heavy burden of disease including an FDG-avid uterine mass with local and distal extension of disease including bilateral hydroureteronephrosis with obstruction of the distal ureters. The patient and her family elected to pursue home hospice without further workup or intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

While this is the first such case presented, it is possible that UCC of the uterine wall represents a particularly aggressive form of the disease more prone to presenting with CNS metastases and PON.