BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus obstruction associated with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis is an extremely rare complication of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. There is little information available on the efficacy of therapeutic options because of its rarity and extremely poor prognosis.

CASE REPORT: A 57-year-old man presented with severe headache, vomiting, and visual loss for 1 month. Head magnetic resonance venography (MRV) showed occlusion of the left transverse sinus. Gd-enhanced MRI showed no abnormal enhancement. Lumbar puncture intracranial pressure was higher than 40 cmH₂O. Positive cerebrospinal fluid tumor cytology confirmed the diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC). The headache was relieved by repeated lumbar punctures, and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was performed. Cerebral angiography showed severe stenosis of the left transverse sinus without thrombosis, and significant delay of cerebral circulation. The transverse sinus stenosis was judged to be contributing to raised intracranial pressure, and the patient underwent left transverse sinus stent placement. After the procedure, his visual acuity improved, the visual field was enlarged, and his headache could be controlled by medication. Follow-up Gd-enhanced MRI showed dural enhancement and spinal dissemination. Because molecular biology of the surgical specimen showed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations, he was treated with osimertinib for 2 months. He survived for 8 months following the diagnosis of LC and left transverse sinus stenosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Venous sinus stenting can offer an effective palliative interventional option for symptom relief of severe headache and visual symptoms, even in the end stage of malignancy.

Keywords: Cranial Sinuses, Meningeal Carcinomatosis, Acrylamides, Aniline Compounds, Cerebral Angiography, Constriction, Pathologic, ErbB receptors, Headache, Intracranial Hypertension, Mutation, Palliative Care, Phlebography, Protein Kinase Inhibitors, Spinal Puncture, Stents, Transverse Sinuses, Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, Vision Disorders, Visual Acuity