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Updated: Apr 26, 2026
Minimally Invasive Cisterna Magna Injection Model for Leptomeningeal Metastasis Studies in Mice
Published on: May 23, 2025
Comprehensive neuraxis imaging in leptomeningeal metastasis: a retrospective case series
1University of Washington, Department of Neurology/Division of Neuro-Oncology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 825 Eastlake Avenue E, PO Box 19023, MS G4940, Seattle, WA 98109-1023, USA. chambemc@u.washington.edu.
Aim:
Quantify imaging abnormalities in a retrospective case series of patients with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM).
Methods:
A total of 240 adult patients with LM (125 nonbrain solid tumor patients with positive cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] cytology; 40 nonbrain solid tumor patients with negative CSF cytology and positive MRI; and 50 lymphoma and 25 leukemia patients with positive CSF-flow cytometry) underwent brain and entire spine MRI and radioisotope CSF-flow studies prior to treatment.
Results:
MRI was more often abnormal in solid tumors (40 CSF defined and 100% in MRI defined) compared with hematologic cancers (16-20%; p = 0.03). Similarly, CSF-flow studies was more often abnormal in solid tumors (25-28%) compared with hematologic cancers (10-20%; p = 0.04). MRI and flow-study abnormalities altered therapy in a third of solid tumors and 15% of hematologic cancers.
Conclusion:
Although imaging abnormalities are less often seen in hematologic cancers compared with solid tumor LM, imaging abnormalities frequently result in treatment alteration.
