SITES OF PRIMARY MALIGNANCIES IN PATIENTS WITH BRAIN METASTASES

Ohjcctivc: To know the frequency of different primary tumors having metastases in (he brain.Material and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the department of Radiology Postgraduate Medical Institute Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar from January 2003 to July 2004. The subjects were patients having established diagnosis of primary tumors who revealed metastasis in brain on CT scan examination. The frequency of various primary tumors with brain metastases was calculated in the study.Results: Out of 49 cases, 29(59.2%) were male and 20(40.8%) female. The age ranged from 5 to 80 years-while mean age was 55 years. Thirty Jour (69.39%) patients presented with multiple metastatic deposits in brain, 13(26.53%) patients showed single lesion while 2 (4.08%) showed leptomeningeal metastases. Cerebral metastases were seen in 29 (59.18%), cerebellar in 14(28.57%), while both supra and infra-tentorial deposits were detected in 6 (12.24 %). Bronchogenic carcinoma was the commonest primary, seen in 20 (40.82 %) patients followed by breast carcinoma in 9 (18.36 %) patients.Conclusion: Bronchogenic carcinoma is the commonest primary tumor that metastatize to brain. The second common tumor that metastatize to the brain is carcinoma breast. Most metastases are multiple and cerebral hemispheres are the common location for metastatic deposits.