Choriocarcinoma with pulmonary and cerebral metastases

Sierra-Bergua B, Sánchez-Marteles M, Cabrerizo-García JL, Sanjoaquin-Conde I
Correspondence: Dr M Sánchez-Marteles, correomarta@inicia.es

ABSTRACT
Choriocarcinoma is an aggressive tumour. Uncommonly, it spreads distantly, and rarely results in pulmonary and brain metastases. Its prognosis is generally good when treated. We report a 33-year-old woman with fever, haemoptysis and asthenia. One month after the appearance of metrorrhagia, she was diagnosed to have choriocarcinoma with pulmonary metastasis. After chemotherapy, pulmonary images disappeared and human chorionic gonadotropin returned to normal. She was re-admitted with neurological signs ten months later, confirming recurrence of the disease with brain metastasis. She was treated with surgery and polychemotherapy, with a favourable outcome and disappearance of the disease.

Keywords: choriocarcinoma, human chorionic gonadotropin, metrorrhagia, trophoblastic disease
Singapore Med J 2008; 49(10): e286-e288