Emergency craniotomy in patient with intracranial metastatic choriocarcinoma: a case report

Abstract

Choriocarcinoma is a highly malignant gynaecological tumour. This disease becomes life-threatening once brain haemorrhage or brain herniation occurs. Timely and accurate brain surgery can gain treatment time for patients that have a large number of cerebral haemorrhages and/or brain herniation. This current report describes a case of choriocarcinoma secondary to a hydatidiform mole in a 55-year-old woman that presented with neurological symptoms. Following admission to hospital, computed tomography examination found that lung and brain metastases were accompanied by cerebral haemorrhage. Cerebral hernia occurred during induction chemotherapy treatment and emergency surgery was performed. The patient recovered after individual chemotherapy and rehabilitation treatment. Patients with a very high risk of choriocarcinoma with brain metastasis should be referred to a comprehensive medical centre. Necessary surgical treatment and individualized chemotherapy can reduce the mortality of patients with choriocarcinoma brain metastasis.