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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Neisseria meningitidis Infection of Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Brain Endothelial Cells
Published on: July 14, 2020
Neoplastic meningitis
1Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Southern Florida, Neuro-Oncology Program, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA. chambemc@moffitt.usf.edu
Background:
Neoplastic meningitis (NM) is a common problem in neuro-oncology, occurring in approximately 5% of all patients with cancer.
Review Summary:
Notwithstanding frequent focal signs and symptoms in NM, NM is a disease affecting the entire neuraxis, and therefore staging and treatment need encompass all cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartments.
Results:
Central nervous system (CNS) staging of NM includes contrast-enhanced cranial computed tomography (CE-CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MR-Gd), contrast-enhanced spine magnetic resonance imaging (MR-S) or computed tomographic myelography (CT-M), and radionuclide CSF flow study (FS). Treatment of NM incorporates involved-field radiotherapy of bulky or symptomatic disease sites and intra-CSF drug therapy. The inclusion of concomitant systemic therapy may benefit patients with NM and may obviate the need for intra-CSF chemotherapy. At present, intra-CSF drug therapy is confined to 3 chemotherapeutic agents (ie, methotrexate, cytosine arabinoside, and thio-TEPA) administered by a variety of schedules either by intralumbar or intraventricular drug delivery.
Conclusions:
Although treatment of NM is palliative, with an expected median patient survival of 2 to 6 months, it often affords stabilization and protection from further neurologic deterioration in patients with NM.
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