[Meningeal carcinomatosis in adults (author's transl)]

Twenty cases of carcinomatous meningitis in adults, treated in the Gustave Roussy Institute between 1970 and 1980, are reviewed. In fourteen cases meningitis was secondary to breast cancer. Initial inflammation was present in 90% of the mammary tumors. Clinical features as well as biochemical and cytological findings in cerebrospinal fluid are described. The various therapeutic regimens using radiotherapy and intrathecal chemotherapy are analyzed in terms of survival and compared with other published studies. The most significant point is the necessity for early diagnosis which improves survival. However, prognosis for this metastatic disease is always very poor.