Headache and hydrocephalus may result from leptomeningeal tumors. If the eyes are affected, vision difficulties that suggest uveitis or vitreitis may be the first complaint. Because the mass lesions in the brain are generally deep, patients often have behavioral and personality changes on presentation and less often have seizures. Multiple lesions are common.
Untreated patients die within several months of diagnosis.
Treatment consists of systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy with or without subsequent radiation therapy. However, many of these patients cannot tolerate high-dose chemotherapy.