Acute subdural hematoma and pachymeningitis carcinomatosa: case report

Subdural hematomas may affect 0.4-5 p. 100 of patients with cancer, because of predisposing risk factors or because of the cancer itself. The most likely association is with hematological cancer with coagulative disorders. An association with pachymeningitis carcinomatosa is less likely. In this instance the subdural hematoma is due to a neoplastic obstruction of dural vein with subdural engorgement and hemorrhage or subdural effusion. We report a case in which an acute neurological deterioration due to a subdural hematoma disclosed a dural metastasis from a breast cancer operated four years earlier and present a literature review.