Background: The purpose of this report is to summarize the incidence, clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of central nervous system (CNS) metastases following ovarian carcinoma. CNS involvement by epithelial ovarian carcinoma is rare, but the incidence may be increasing. The prognosis is poor and a standard treatment is not well defined. Cases: Four patients with a past medical history of ovarian carcinoma presented with neurologic symptoms. Investigations revealed CNS metastases consistent with ovarian origin. The clinicopathologic presentation and the different treatments are reported here. The associated literature is also reviewed. Results: In this series, 3 patients died within a year of being diagnosed with CNS metastases, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Conclusions: Ovarian carcinoma is common, but rarely metastasizes to the CNS. Such metastases indicate poor prognosis. An aggressive multidisciplinary therapeutic approach including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy is reasonable to improve the outcome of patients, whenever is feasible. (J GYNECOL SURG 28:223)
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