Facial Paralysis and Hearing Loss: A Rare Manifestation of Prostate Cancer Metastases

Dural prostate metastases (DPM) are a rare manifestation of metastatic prostate cancer seen in approximately one to six percent of cases. Presenting symptoms may include signs of elevated intracranial pressure, headache, altered mental status, or cranial nerve palsies. Hearing loss, sensory changes, dysarthria, and dysphagia are rare symptoms in DPM that were present in our patient. We present a case of a 58-year-old male with a known diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate presenting with symptoms of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sub-acute right-sided hearing loss, and right-sided facial paralysis. Over the course of hospitalization, his neurological symptoms worsened and he developed dysarthria, dysphagia, facial numbness, and worsening back pain. He also appeared more withdrawn and lethargic. The symptoms prompted a neurological evaluation and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple areas of bone marrow signal abnormality compatible with osseous metastatic disease. There was extensive smooth dural thickening as well as focal nodular thickening, both consistent with dural metastases. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with improvement in his back pain and facial paralysis. He died two weeks after completing EBRT. Although rare, DPM should be suspected in males over 50 years of age presenting with neurological symptoms. An MRI with gadolinium is most helpful in delineating the presence and extent of dural and calvarial involvement. Corticosteroids and EBRT have been shown to improve neurological function in up to 67% of patients. However, median survival post-radiation remains approximately three months.