A Study of metastasis to brain with emphasis on rare tumors and role of immunohistochemistry

Introduction: Secondary involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) by direct extention or hematogenous metastasis is a common complication of systemic cancer. Adenocarcinoma was the most common metastatic deposit in the present study, along with a few rare cases such as metastasis from hepatoblastoma, follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, and germ cell tumor of the testis. Aim: This study was undertaken to know the incidence of secondary deposits in the brain. Age, sex, location in the brain, and type of malignancy were studied. In rare cases, immunohistochemistry was done to assess the exact histopathological confirmation. Material and Methods: This study was carried out on a retrospective basis in our institution from March 2012 to July 2015. During the 3 year period, a total of 33 metastatic tumors were diagnosed based on hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. Results: Out of 33 metastatic deposits, adenocarcinoma was the most common secondary deposit in the CNS. In addition, we encountered metastatic deposit from the follicular variant of papillary carcinoma, germ cell tumor from the testis, and hepatoblastoma. Immunohistochemical study was done in a selective cases. Conclusion: This study highlights rare metastatic deposits in the CNS