[A 61-year-old man with sciatica]

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our department with radicular back-pain and progressive gait-difficulties. On examination he had flaccid paraparesis and bladder-retention. He subsequently developed palsy of n. oculomotorius, dysarthria, right-sided Bells palsy and weakness of his right arm over a 4-week period. He became disoriented and died without a diagnosis. MRI of the brain and columna were negative. Extensive search for malignancies yielded negative results. Cytology specimens were inconclusive and repeated liquor-examinations showed very low glucose levels, mild pleocytosis, elevated protein. Autopsy revealed a small adenocarcinoma of the lung and meningeal carcinomatosis originating from the adenocarcinoma.