Emergency: requires immediate attention
Carcinomatous meningitis
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis
Symptoms include headache, neck or back pain, altered mental status, seizures, weakness, and sensory disturbances. Fever is typically absent. Multiple cranial neuropathies, particularly in a patient with a known cancer diagnosis, should raise concerns for this condition. Prognosis is poor, and median survival with treatment is less than 6 months.
Codes
ICD10CM:C70.1 – Malignant neoplasm of spinal meninges
SNOMEDCT:
230156002 – Malignant meningitis
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Diagnostic Pearls
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Infectious meningitis (viral, bacterial, fungal)
- Multifocal mononeuropathy
- Motor neuron disease
- Lyme disease
- Neurosyphilis
- West Nile virus infection
- Vasculitis
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Drug-induced meningitis
Best Tests
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Management Pearls
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Therapy
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References
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Last Reviewed:03/15/2018
Last Updated:03/15/2018
Last Updated:03/15/2018