The diagnosis of skull base metastases by radionuclide bone scan

The differential diagnosis of multiple cranial nerve palsies in patients with cancer includes meningeal infections, meningeal carcinomatosis, and skull base metastases. In distinguishing these, spinal fluid analysis and skull base tomography should be helpful in most cases. In circumstances when results of skull base tomography are negative, radionuclide bone scans can demonstrate metastatic disease in the base of the skull, and it should be obtained in all patients who are highly suspicious for having skull base metastasis with negative skull base tomography, including computed tomography (CT).