Sudden cerebral death in malignant presacral teratoma

A three-year-old girl with disseminated malignant teratoma was treated by palliative radiotherapy to her pulmonary metastases. She developed seizure followed by absence of cerebral function and death ensued in 36 hours. Computerized scan of brain was negative prior to death. The main finding at autopsy was occlusion of the carotid and cerebral arteries by necrotic tumour. Widespread cerebral tumour embolization may be an unusual terminal event in cancer patients with pulmonary metastases.