Tumor-to-tumor metastasis (TTM) is a relatively rare but well-documented phenomenon.
The authors report a unique case of esophageal carcinoma metastatic to an intracranial paraganglioma. A sellar and suprasellar tumor was found using MR imaging in an 81-year-old man who presented with a 3-week history of progressive headache and blurred vision. A subtotal excision of the tumor was achieved.
Histopathological examination of the tumor disclosed a neoplasm with two distinct components: one showing the classic Zellballen pattern of a paraganglioma, the other exhibiting malignant features leading to the diagnosis of a poorly differentiated carcinoma metastatic to a sellar/suprasellar paraganglioma.
The primary esophageal carcinoma was not uncovered until 2 months later, after the patient presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
The patient died 4 months after initial presentation.
This case expands the spectrum of TTM, and emphasizes the importance of TTM in the practice of pathology.
2009-04-02
Eng.
Journal of Neurosurgery
Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
J Neurosurg. 2009 Apr;110(4):744-8
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