Meningeal carcinomatosis 21 years following bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma: Diagnosis by cisternal csf examination

An unusual case is described of pure meningeal carcinomatosis in the absence of other evidence of tumor occurring 21 years after lobectomy for a localized bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma. The metastatic disease was confined to the leptomeninges and was documented only by a cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. Four previous lumbar punctures had shown hypoglycorrachia as the only CSF abnormality.