Numerous cases of Krukenberg tumors have been described in the literature, with several reviews on this topic published over these last three decades. The precise origin of these metastatic tumors is often unknown, in spite of the availability of biological and immunohistochemical markers. This case-report sought to present the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges raised by Krukenberg tumours in the course of a poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma of atypical presentation, along with a review of the literature on this topic.
We report the case of a 29-year-old patient referred to the endocrinology department for increased bone turn-over and elevated parathormone levels, in the context of chronic lower back pain. Further examinations revealed bilateral Krukenberg tumors, multifocal osteoblastic bone metastases, as well as probable peritoneal dissemination. While the primary origin of the metastases is still unknown, they are likely of gastro-intestinal origin, following careful exclusion of breast carcinoma.
Whereas there are no guidelines on the management of Krukenberg tumors, actual therapy primarily consists of bi- or tri-chemotherapy with bilateral adnexectomy, leading to extended survival from a few months to several years. Yet prognosis remains poor with a median survival time of only 16 months, unless both primary tumor and metastases can be fully resected, with then considerably extended survival.
Key Words
Krukenberg tumors parathormone; signet-ring cell carcinoma; osteoblastic metastases ; peritoneal carcinomatosis