Lung cancer presenting with trigeminal neuropathy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Trigeminal neuropathy is often idiopathic or caused by common conditions.
• Metastatic disease to the trigeminal nerve is an uncommon cause of neuropathy.

Observation:

• A patient presented with unilateral trigeminal neuropathy as the initial symptom.
• Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) revealed metastasis involving the cisternal and Meckel's cave segments of the trigeminal nerve.

Findings:

• The metastasis was confirmed to be from a lung adenocarcinoma.
• MR imaging and CT demonstrated expansive lesions of the intracranial trigeminal nerve.

Implications:

• Metastases should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intracranial trigeminal nerve lesions.
• Physicians and neuroradiologists must recognize metastases as a potential, albeit uncommon, presenting cause of trigeminal neuropathy.
• This case underscores the importance of considering cancer as an underlying cause even in seemingly isolated neurological presentations.