Skull-base metastasis is extremely rare. Various syndromes have been identified based on the anatomical involvement of the metastatic tumor. Occipital condyle syndrome (OCS) occurs with involvement of occipital bone and compression of the hypoglossal canal. OCS is very rare and usually has an underlying widely disseminated metastatic cancer. We present a 66-year-old female who initially presented with tongue deviation and occipital headache. MRI revealed a mass compressing the occipital bone and hypoglossal canal. Further work-up revealed metastatic breast cancer.
Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA 5) is one of the subtypes of dermatomyositis associated with rapidly progressive lung disease. MDA 5 carries a high mortality risk due to respiratory failure. The exact pathophysiology is unclear, but it is linked to genetic predisposition and viral triggers with the associated innate response and cytokine production like interleukins IL-1,6,18, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferons. It is usually treated with anti-cytokines, high-dose steroids, immunosuppressants, and plasma exchange. Due to the atypical presentation and rapidity of the disease course, the diagnosis is often delayed. We report a 39-year-old female presenting with rapidly progressive lung disease secondary to an aggressive form of dermatomyositis.
Adrenal gland metastatic disease is the most commonly occurring malignancy of the adrenal glands. Although metastatic disease is common, adrenal hemorrhage is a rare but potentially fatal manifestation of malignancy. The objectives of this case report are to highlight the unusual presentation of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma as spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage in a 64-year-old female who was otherwise asymptomatic. As well as to support the reasoning that metastatic disease should be considered as a differential in patients with this clinical presentation as this may have altered this fatal outcome.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.