[Intracranial metastases of cancer of the prostate]

In Geneva at autopsies, 4.8% of the cranial cavities contained metastasis of any origin (872 cases in 19 years), which in 21 cases was prostatic (2.4%). During 7 years, 7592 autopsies were performed, and 159 prostatic cancers discovered (2.1%), among them 10 had intracranial metastasis, in each case in association with other localisations. Multiple localisations were present in 70 cases (44%), unique localisation in 26 cases; no metastasis were discovered in 63 cases (40%). The most frequent localisation was bone. The mean age was 70.5 years when an intracranial localisation was present, 78.3 years when not. Only 3 cases out of 21 were admitted in a neurological or neurosurgical ward and no intracranial operation was performed. This can explain why intracranial mestastasis of prostatic carcinoma is usually considered as a rare condition.