A Rare Site of Spread of a Common Cancer

Excerpt

A 46-year-old Native American woman was evaluated in the emergency department with the new onset of tonic–clonic seizures and altered mental status. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her brain revealed a cerebral infarct in the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) distribution. The patient was admitted to the neurology intensive care unit for further evaluation and care. She had a pertinent medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, tobacco and methamphetamine use, and ductal type, hormone receptor-negative breast carcinoma diagnosed 7 years prior, for which she underwent right mastectomy. She was undergoing chemotherapy with capecitabine and had been recently diagnosed with metastases to the bones and spine. …