A case of calcified brain metastasis

We describe a rare case of calcified brain metastasis from adenocatcinoma of the lung and review 38 cases of calcified brain metastasis reported in the literature. A 44-year-old woman, who had undergone surgery for adenocarcinoma of the right lung at 35 years of age, was admitted to Yamaguchi Univercity Hospital complaining of seizures and memory impairment. On admission, a CT scan revealed a tumor with calcified nodules in a left frontal lobe. A left frontal osteoplastic craniotomy and resection of the tumor were performed. Specimens from the tumor showed characteristic features of adenocarcinoma. The tumor contained necrotic tissue with multiple calcified granules. The postoperative course was good. Based on an analysis of 38 similar cases reported previously, the characteristics of calcified brain metastasis appear to be as follows : 1) The most sommon primary sites of lesions from which calcified brain metastases are deruved are th lung, gastrointestinal tract and breast, with an especially high incidence from gastrointestinal cancer. 2) Nearly two-thirds of calcified brain metastases are solitary lesions. 3) The calcification usually occurs in necrotic tumor rissue.