[A case of meningeal carcinomatosis presenting with bilateral hearing loss]

We report the case of a 63-year-old male who developed rapidly progressive bilateral deafness. Two months later he became stuporous, and was transferred to our hospital. The patient's MRI demonstrated bilateral hypertrophic VII-VIII cranial nerve roots that were well enhanced. Gradually, the patient's condition worsened, and he died on the 12th day after admission. Autopsy revealed meningeal carcinomatosis with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. White firm masses of the bilateral seventh and eighth bilateral cranial nerve roots were found at autopsy, which were found to be metastases of the gastric cancer cells as well. Metastatic tumors can be take into consideration as a differential diagnosis for bilateral-enhanced eighth cranial nerve root masses.