Compressive myeloradiculopathy from bony metastasis as the initial presentation of poorly differentiated...

Carcinoma of the stomach rarely disseminates to bone. We report a case of compressive myeloradiculopathy from extensive metastases to the spine, which on evaluation originated from adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine showed osteolytic and osteosclerotic metastases. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed ulcerative growth in the stomach that on biopsy showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. This case is unique in that the initial presentation of gastric cancer itself was bony metastases without any gastrointestinal symptoms or liver involvement. Moreover, metastases were osteosclerotic as well, which is against the general belief that gastric cancer produces only osteolytic secondaries.