Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2013 Sep;56(9):584-587. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2013.56.9.584.

A Case of Central Origin Vertigo in Breast Cancer with Brain Metastasis

• Lee HJ
• Bae SH
• Lee JM
• Kim SH

• KMID: 1855840
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2013.56.9.584

Abstract

The incidence of symptomatic brain metastasis among women with breast cancer ranges from 10 to 16%. A metastatic spread of breast cancer to either the brain parenchyma or the leptomeninges is generally a late feature of metastatic progression. The present case of a 55-year-old patient had been considered cured from breast cancer. However, she recently complained of severe dizziness, hearing impairment, and headache. Initially, it was considered to be Meniere's disease or vestibular migraine, although later dizziness, hearing impairment, and headache were aggravated in spite of medication. Pure tone audiometry showed left-sided sensorineural hearing loss, but her vestibular function was within normal range. She underwent a Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and a metastatic brain lesion was noted. With a review of the literature, we present this case of breast cancer with brain metastasis in a 55-year-old woman with vertigo and hearing loss.

Keyword

Breast neoplasm; Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis; Sensory neural hearing loss

MeSH Terms

Audiometry
Brain
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Dizziness
Female
Headache
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Humans
Incidence
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Meniere Disease
Meningeal Carcinomatosis
Middle Aged
Migraine Disorders
Neoplasm Metastasis
Reference Values
Vertigo