Multiple acute cerebral infarcts as initial manifestation of occult systemic malignancy with 12 case report / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To characterize the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings of patients with occult sys?temic malignant neoplasms, whose initial manifestation presented as multiple acute cerebral infarcts including coagula?tion function,radiological imaging and microembolic signals (MES) detection by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. Methods All clinical records, laboratory hematological tests includ?ing hypercoagulable states measured by D-dimer levels, brain MRI including DWI, and TCD monitoring MES, the treat?ment and prognosis were retrospectively reviewed in 12 patients with multiple acute cerebral infarcts as the first manifes?tation of occult systemic malignancy. Results The clinical manifestations presented as localized neurological dysfunction, e.g. hemiparesis, aphasia, hemiparesthesia, dysarthria, vertigo and seizures, etc. DWI revealed multiple disseminated acute cerebral infarcts in multiple arterial territories such as the bilateral anterior or anterior plus posterior cerebral circu?lation in all patients. Eleven of 12 patients tested had elevated D-dimer. TCD detected MES in 5 of 7 patients. There were 12 patients diagnosed with occult systemic malignancy including 5 lung cancer, 3 pancreatic cancer, 1 gastric can?cer, 1 colon cancer, 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma and 1 metastatic poorly differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with unknown primary. Ten patients already had remote metastasis at diagnosis. The prognosis was usually poor and there were 7 cases with ischemic stroke recurrence, 4 cases with acute myocardial infarction, 3 cases died during hospitaliza?tion. Conclusions When patients present with multiple disseminated acute cerebral infarcts involving multiple arterial territories as initial manifestation, the underlying occult systemic malignancy should be considered. Hypercoagulopathy and MES might provide the clues to the diagnosis.