The Pattern of Location of Cerebral Metastatic Tumors

T HIS study concerns the pattern of location of metastatic tumors within the cerebrum, excluding structures of the cerebellum and brain stem. Some consideration also will be given as to the reasons why emboli of tumor, as well as other emboli, have a tendency to lodge repeatedly in a certain area of the brain. One of the most extensive studies of metastatic brain tumors was made by Courville, 3 who used a series of 40,000 autopsies at the Los Angeles County Hospital. A total of s cases of metastatic brain tumors were reviewed post mortem by him in that series. The parieto-occipital area was described as the region of highest incidence where such metastatic tumors occurred. Previous reports relative to the site of predilection of cerebral metastatic tumors have been confined as a rule to the specific lobes of the brain involved. 4