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 carcinoma is uncommon. Case report: We report the case of a 51-year-old woman who developed a solitary cerebral metastasis 29 months after radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy for a stage IB, grade III cervical cancer. The patient suddenly complained of headache, confusion and dizziness; she was submitted to emergency surgical resection of a 2x3 cm metastasis in the right frontal lobe. The postoperative course was uneventful and she completely recovered from 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. She developed liver and lung metastases and died 10 months later of progressive disseminated disease, without, however, any sign of recurrent or persistent cerebral involvement. Conclusion: Neurosurgical resection should be considered in cervical cancer patients with solitary brain metastasis in the absence of systemic disease.