[Surgical Resection of Solitary Brain Metastasis from Breast Cancer].

BACKGROUND: Brain metastasis from breast cancer has a poor prognosis. For solitary cerebral metastases, surgical resection may contribute to the improvement of survival and QOL. We studied the prognosis and characteristics of solitary brain metastasis from breast cancer in patients undergoing surgical resection. METHODS: Seventeen patients had tumors metastatic to the brain at Kasukabe Municipal Hospital between June 2009 and May 2016, and 7 of them underwent craniotomy. Their treatment outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis of brain metastasis was 56 years. The median survival duration was 19.6 months. With regard to radiation therapy after surgery, 3 patients received whole brain irradiation, 2 patients received stereotactic brain irradiation, and 2 patients received both. The site of brain metastasis was the cerebellum in 6 patients, and the occipital lobe in 1 patient. The number of HER2-positive breast cancer patients was 5, and lapatinib and capecitabine were administered to 4 out of these 5 patients. CONCLUSION: For solitary brain metastasis, the improvement in symptoms and the extension of the survival can be achieved using multidisciplinary treatment with surgery, radiation, and molecular targeting drugs.

[A Case of Brainstem Hemorrhage Following Embolization of a Large Basilar Aneurysm with Hydrogel-Coated Coils].

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms is associated with better outcomes and a lower mortality rate compared with surgical clip occlusion. However, a principal disadvantage of endovascular therapy is the higher rate of retreatment compared with neurosurgical clipping. Self-expandable hydrogel-coated coils were developed to reduce recanalization rates of cerebral aneurysms by promoting complete volumetric aneurysm occlusion. Herein, we report a case of brainstem hemorrhage following coil embolization of a large basilar aneurysm with hydrogel-coated coils. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old female with a history of hypertension, who presented with worsening headaches, right hemiplegia, and left oculomotor palsy, underwent endovascular treatment for a large basilar aneurysm. The aneurysm was treated with both hydrogel-coated coils and bare platinum coils. Hydrogel-coated coils represented 46% of the coil length in the aneurysm. The patient was discharged from the hospital with improvement of neurological deficits 6 days after the procedure. However, the patient was readmitted with perianeurysmal edema in the midbrain 23 days after coil embolization. Follow-up angiography 26 days after the procedure showed complete obliteration of the aneurysm. Two weeks later, the patient presented with a large brainstem hemorrhage and died. Pathological findings revealed intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the pons without rupture of the aneurysm. CONCLUSION: Hydrogel-coated coils may cause a marked inflammatory response that may result in intracerebral hemorrhage.