Brain metastasis and carcinomatous meningitis from vulvar squamous cell carcinoma: case report.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastasis and carcinomatous meningitis from gynecological tumors are an uncommon event, usually related to choriocarcinoma, ovarian and cervical cancer. CASE: A 74-year-old woman was diagnosed with locally advanced vulvar squamous carcinoma. Initial therapy consisted of multiagent chemotherapy and vulvar, pelvis and groin irradiation. The patient subsequently developed widely spread metastatic disease including brain and meningeal metastases. CONCLUSION: The rising incidence of central nervous system metastasis in the last two decades is probably associated with treatment-related improvement in life expectancy. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported of brain metastases and meningeal carcinomatosis associated with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.