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Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: a Unique Association

The Cerebellum volume 18, pages 1126–1129 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare disorder that is associated with lung or gynecological malignancies and Hodgkin lymphoma. Neurologic symptoms are commonly the initial presenting sign leading to the diagnosis of an underlying malignancy. We are presenting an Asian male with progressive lower extremity weakness with EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and anti-Yo antibodies. Peculiarly, transient diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement is seen on MR imaging. This is the first report of PCD associated with NPC and thus illustrates that PCD embodies a boarder set of disease than previously described.

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Abbreviations

CD:

Classification determinant

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

CT:

Commuted tomography

PET:

Positron emission tomography

EBV:

Epstein-Barr virus

EBER-ISH:

Epstein-Barr encoding region in situ hybridization

ER:

Emergency room

FLAIR:

Fluid attenuation inversion recovery

IgG:

Immunoglobulin G

IV:

Intravenous

NPC:

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PCD:

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

RBC:

Red blood cell

RNA:

Ribonucleic acid

WBC:

White blood cell

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jonathan A. Harris, MD, and Jeffrey F. Lipton, MD, for providing pathological reports and descriptions

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine (Relocated to New York University as Clinical Instructor and Hospitalist), Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    S. Bhardwaj

  2. Department of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    S. Khasani

  3. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    D. Benasher

  4. Department of Neuroradiology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    E. G. Stein

  5. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    T. Meghal

  6. Department of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    N. Jacoby

  7. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Maimonides Medical Center, 4810 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    Y. J. Huang

Authors
  1. S. Bhardwaj
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  2. S. Khasani
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  3. D. Benasher
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  4. E. G. Stein
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  5. T. Meghal
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  6. N. Jacoby
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  7. Y. J. Huang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Bhardwaj.

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Bhardwaj, S., Khasani, S., Benasher, D. et al. Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: a Unique Association. Cerebellum 18, 1126–1129 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-019-01045-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-019-01045-1

Keywords

  • Paraneoplastic
  • Cerebellum
  • Cerebellar
  • Nasopharyngeal
  • Cancer
  • Oncology
  • Neurology
  • Leptomeningeal
  • Anti-Yo
  • Autoimmune
  • Syndrome