Intramedullary spinal cord involvement from metastatic gastric carcinoma: a case report

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is a rarely seen complication of cancer. We report a case of ISCM from gastric cancer. A 42-year-old male presented with a rare intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from gastric carcinoma manifesting as rapidly worsening motor and sphincter disturbances. The primary tumor had been treated 2 years previously. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the tumor localized in the thoracic spinal cord. The tumor was totally removed. The histological diagnosis was gastric adenocarcinoma. He has been stable postoperatively. Surgical treatment may be considered for cases with even rapid-growing tumors such as gastric carcinoma with no evidence of multi-organ dissemination, especially when presenting with progressive neurological deterioration.