OBJECTIVES: Intracranial metastasis of ovarian tumours is rarely seen with an incidence 0.1- 5% but simultaneous diagnosis of primary undifferentiated carcinoma of the ovary and its CNS metastasis has not been published previously.

MATERIAL and METHODS: A 56-year-old woman presented with headache and visual disturbance. She underwent cranial MRI and abdominal ultrasound.

RESULTS: On examination, a bilateral right homonymous hemianopia and left papilledema were found. Cranial MR showed multiple ring-enhancing intracranial tumours. A right ovarian mass measuring 100x85x135 mm was discovered with abdominal ultrasound. She underwent extensive gynecological surgery. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated ovarian carcinoma which dedifferentiated from endometrioid-type ovarian adenocarcinoma. A week after gynecologic surgery, the patient underwent surgery for a left occipital tumour which proved to be anaplastic carcinoma metastasis. The patient succumbed 15 months after the diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Although metastasis from undifferentiated ovarian carcinomas to the central nervous system have been published with the CNS disease often developing long after the initial diagnosis of primary tumour; simultaneous diagnosis of primary undifferentiated carcinoma of the ovary and its CNS metastasis as described in our case may rarely occur.