Ruptured cerebral abscess with ventriculitis and leptomeningitis; A rare complication in the setting of metastatic esophageal cancer: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, and metastatic esophageal carcinoma carries a very poor prognosis. Patients tend to decline rapidly, with an overall 5-year survival rate less than 20%. Furthermore, understanding the eventual cause of death in patients with esophageal cancer may serve to guide treatment and hopefully improve the patient's quality of life. Less common causes of death in patients with metastatic esophageal cancer have infrequently been described in the literature. Our report outlines a unique case of metastatic esophageal carcinoma, complicated by ruptured intracranial abscess, with subsequent ventriculitis and leptomeningitis. Keywords: Ruptured intracranial abscess, Leptomeningitis, Metastatic esophageal carcinoma, Magnetic resonance imaging, Ventriculitis