Metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma presenting as an occipital haemorrhage

Abstract

We report a case of a 63-year-old woman who was presented to the emergency department with an occipital haemorrhage secondary to a pancreatic cerebral metastasis. Pancreatic cancer is the ninth most common cancer in women in Australia, and distant disease is present in 70% of patients with pancreatic cancer at the time of diagnosis. However, metastases to the brain are rare, accounting for only 0.33%-0.57% cases antemortem. Herein, we discuss the management of this unusual case to highlight the importance of recognising unusual central nervous system involvement of cancers, a problem which may be increasing in prevalence.

Keywords: gastrointestinal surgery; neurosurgery; pancreas and biliary tract.