Paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome associated with gynecologic and breast malignancies.

Gynecologic and breast malignancies are the cancers most commonly associated with paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes, of which the foremost is Yo [Purkinje cell antibody, type 1 (PCA-1)] paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Yo syndrome affects women in the sixth decade and manifests as a subacute severe cerebellar ataxia. The association of the typical clinical picture with the detection of Yo antibodies in a patient's serum or CSF defines the diagnosis. Yo syndrome is always associated with a cancer, and the search for the underlying tumor should focus on ovarian and breast cancers and be repeated overtime if negative. The Yo autoantibodies are directed against the Yo antigens, aberrantly overexpressed by tumor cells with frequent somatic mutations and gene amplifications. The massive infiltration of these tumors by immune cells suggests that they are the site of the immune tolerance breakdown, leading to the destruction of Purkinje cells harboring the Yo antigens. Despite a growing understanding of the immunologic mechanisms, efficient therapeutic options are still lacking. Anti-Ri and antiamphiphysin syndromes are rarer and associated with breast cancers; a wide variety of other rare paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes have been described in association with gynecologic and breast malignancies that, though sharing some similarities, may have specific immune and genetics features leading to the immune tolerance breakdown.

Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration Leading to an Early Diagnosis of Peritoneal Serous Papillary Carcinoma.

A 77-year-old female with a subacute progression of ataxia and serum anti-Yo antibodies was suspected to have paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). An examination of an underlying cancer showed no abnormality in the gynecological organs, but the findings did show a mass in the Douglas fossa. The mass was resected and diagnosed as stage IIB peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (PSPC), a rare gynecologic cancer that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. PCD was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). For an early diagnosis and treatment, PSPC should be included in the list of malignancies that cause PCD with anti-Yo antibodies.

Ovarian mass Presenting as Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration with peripheral neuropathy and anti-Yo antibody.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are a group of disorders with diverse neurological manifestations that are observed in patients with various types of cancer. Any portion of the nervous system can be affected by these syndromes, which are brought on by processes other than metastasis, direct tumour spread or chemotherapy side effects. An immune-mediated attack on the cerebellar Purkinje cells and consequent cerebellar symptoms define paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration(PCD), a subtype of the PNS. Axonal or demyelinating paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathies are both possible. Here, we describe the case of a middle-aged woman who presented with subacute-onset cerebellar symptoms and peripheral neuropathy, was discovered to have a positive anti-Yo antibody, and was later detected to have an ovarian mass. This case illustrates the significance of considering a paraneoplastic aetiology in patients with otherwise unexplained neurological manifestations and initiating an appropriate workup and early treatment for the primary malignancy.

A retrospective study of autoimmune cerebellar ataxia over a 20-year period in a single institution.

BACKGROUND: It is important to differentiate autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA) from neurodegenerative CA, but this is sometimes difficult. We performed a retrospective study in a single institution in Japan over a 20-year period to reveal the clinical features of ACA. METHODS: Patients with CA as the primary neurological symptom were enrolled from those admitted to the Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University Hospital between April 2002 and March 2022. ACA was diagnosed retrospectively according to the following criteria: (1) CA being the predominant symptom; (2) identification of cancer within 2 years of onset; (3) improvement in cerebellar symptoms following immunotherapy; and (4) ruling out alternative causes of CA. Patients fulfilling criteria (1), (2), and (4) were classified as paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD), while those fulfilling (1), (3), and (4) were classified as non-PCD and enrolled as patients with ACA. Neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., multiple system atrophy (MSA), were confirmed retrospectively based on generally used diagnostic criteria and enrolled. Furthermore, the ACA diagnostic criteria proposed by Dalmau and Graus were applied retrospectively to the ACA patients to examine the validity of the diagnoses. RESULTS: Among the 243 patients with CA, 13 were enrolled as ACA; five were PCD and eight were non-PCD. Eight of these cases met the proposed diagnostic criteria by Dalmau and Graus. MSA was the most prevalent disease among CA patients, with 93 cases. The incidence of cerebellar atrophy was significantly lower in ACA (3/13) than in MSA (92/92). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis was significantly more frequent in ACA than in MSA (4/13 vs. 2/55, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the presence of oligoclonal bands, increased protein in CSF, and laterality differences in ataxia. CONCLUSION: ACA was present in ~ 5% of Japanese CA patients. The absence of cerebellar atrophy, despite the presence of CA, strongly supports ACA over MSA. While CSF pleocytosis was observed more often in ACA, the positivity rate was only ~ 30%. Since ACA is treatable, further studies are needed to identify additional clinical features and accurate diagnostic biomarkers.

Anti-Ma2 Antibody-Mediated Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration and Myeloneuropathy Secondary to Lymphoma.

ABSTRACT: A 61-year-old woman with a history of untreated low-grade B-cell lymphoma presented with blurry vision, unsteadiness, and worsening pain on touching skin of the upper trunk was enrolled. Blurry vision was attributed to oscillopsia from downbeat nystagmus, which later evolved into macrosaccadic oscillations. MRI brain and spine showed mild, longitudinally extensive T2 hyperintensity in the central gray matter of the spinal cord extending from the medulla to T11 level. Serum paraneoplastic panel was negative; however, she had very high titers of anti-Ma2 antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid. The diagnosis of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome was made. Empiric treatment with high dose of intravenous steroids followed by intravenous immunoglobulin infusions did not improve her symptoms. An extensive search for an underlying tumor commenced and was initially unrevealing. However, two-month follow-up positron emission tomography scan showed increased uptake in a right pulmonary nodule, which when biopsied confirmed diagnosis of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma. The final diagnosis was anti-Ma2 antibody-mediated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and myeloneuropathy secondary to lymphoma.

Anti-Yo paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a patient with stage IV ovarian adenocarcinoma during bevacizumab maintenance therapy.

Anti-Yo paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare autoimmune neurological syndrome characterised by cerebellar symptoms and frequently associated with gynaecological malignancies. While typically preceding the diagnosis of the malignancy, rarely it may present later in the disease course, heralding a recurrence prior to biochemical or radiological confirmation. Disease management is challenging and prognosis remains poor.We present the case of a woman with stage IV ovarian adenocarcinoma who developed anti-Yo PCD 16 months post malignancy diagnosis while receiving bevacizumab maintenance therapy. We review the literature and outline the difficulties in diagnosis and the frequently refractory nature of PCD to available treatments.

A cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2-like cell-based assay for anti-Yo detection in patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Commercially available tests for Yo antibody detection have low specificity for paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) because these assays use cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2 (CDR2) as the antigen, not CDR2-like (CDR2L). We aimed to test the hypothesis that use of a CDR2L cell-based assay (CBA), as an additional screening technique, would increase the accuracy of Yo-PCD diagnosis. METHODS: An in-house CBA to test for anti-CDR2L antibodies was developed and used to screen sera from 48 patients with confirmed anti-Yo-associated PCD. Fifteen non-Yo PCD patients, 22 patients with ovarian cancer without neurological syndromes, 50 healthy blood donors, 10 multiple sclerosis, 15 Parkinson's disease, and five non-paraneoplastic ataxic patients were included as controls. Sera were also tested by western blot analysis using recombinant CDR2 and CDR2L proteins developed in house, by the commercially available line immunoassays from Ravo Diagnostika and Euroimmun, and by the CDR2 CBA from Euroimmun. RESULTS: The CDR2L CBA identified all 48 patients with Yo-PCD. No CDR2L CBA reaction was observed in any of the control sera. The western blot technique had lower sensitivity and specificity as sera from eight and six of the 48 Yo-PCD patients did not react with recombinant CDR2 or CDR2L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CDR2L CBA is highly reliable for identification of Yo-PCD. Although our findings indicate that, currently, the combination of CDR2 and CDR2L yields the most reliable test results, it remains to be evaluated if a test for single anti-CDR2L positivity will serve as a sufficient biomarker for Yo-PCD diagnosis.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration with anti-Yo antibodies and an associated submandibular gland tumor: a case report.

BACKGROUND: As a debilitating syndrome, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) remains challenging to treat. Further, anti-Yo antibody (directed against human cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2) detection in patients with PCD is associated with unsatisfactory responses to existing therapies. Here, we present the case of a 60-year-old woman who developed PCD with anti-Yo antibodies and a submandibular gland tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old woman presented with a 5-day history of unsteadiness of gait and inadequate coordination of her extremities, along with truncal instability. Although walking without aid was possible, dysmetria of all four limbs, trunk, and gait ataxia was observed. While routine biochemical and hematological examinations were normal, the patient's blood was positive for anti-Yo antibodies. When the neurological symptoms deteriorated despite administration of intravenous methylprednisolone, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed tomography (CT) images with contrast enhancement were performed, which showed a tumor in the left submaxillary gland. She underwent total left submandibular gland resection, including the tumor; histological and immunohistochemical results revealed a salivary duct carcinoma. She was administered intravenous methylprednisolone, followed by 10 plasma exchange sessions, intravenous immunoglobulins, and cyclophosphamide therapy. Following treatment, her symptoms were not alleviated, even after the reduction of anti-Yo titers. CONCLUSIONS: Although tumor detection was delayed, early tumor detection, diagnosis, and PCD treatment are essential because any delay can result in the progression of the disorder and irreversible neurological damage. Therefore, we recommend that the possibility of a salivary gland tumor should be considered, and whole-body dual-modality CT, including the head and neck, and FDG-PET should be performed at the earliest for patients with well-characterized paraneoplastic antibodies when conventional imaging fails to identify a tumor.

Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration: The Importance of Including CDR2L as a Diagnostic Marker.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the value of including cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2-like (CDR2L) as a marker in commercial diagnostic tests for anti-Yo-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). METHODS: We included sera and CSF samples from 24 patients with suspected PCD (6 of whom had PCD with underlying gynecologic or breast cancer), who were positive for Yo antibodies using the commercially available, paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNS) 14 Line Assay from Ravo Diagnostika. The samples were further evaluated using the EUROLINE PNS 12 Ag Line Assay and a cell-based assay (CBA) from Euroimmun. For confirmation of positive lineblot results, we used indirect immunofluorescence of rat cerebellar sections. We also tested all samples in 2 assays developed in-house: a CBA for CDR2L and a Western blot analysis using recombinant cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2 (CDR2) and CDR2L proteins. RESULTS: In PNS 14 and PNS 12 Ag Line Assays, anti-CDR2 reactivity was observed for 24 (100%) and 20 (83%) of the 24 samples, respectively. Thirteen of 24 subjects (54%) were also positive using the Euroimmun CBA. Rat cerebellar immunofluorescence was the best confirmatory test. In our in-house CBA for CDR2L and Western blot for CDR2 and CDR2L, only the 6 patients with confirmed PCD reacted with CDR2L. CONCLUSIONS: Commercially available tests for Yo antibody detection have low specificity for PCD because these assays use CDR2 as antigen. By adding a test for CDR2L, which is the major Yo antigen, the accuracy of PCD diagnosis greatly improved. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that a CBA for CDR2L accurately identifies patients with PCD.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration as a presenting manifestation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Paraneoplastic Cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is one of the classical paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) which is characterised by subacute onset, progressive cerebellar ataxia and is usually associated with small cell lung carcinoma, adeno carcinoma of breast and ovary followed by Hodgkin's lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: We herein report a case of subacute onset, progressive cerebellar ataxia in a 37-year-old female, who on evaluation was found to have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and experienced good clinical response to treatment. DISCUSSION: As compared to solid tumours, chances of association of PNS with Lymphomas is quite low and there are only few case reports in the literature showing association of PCD with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. As PCD is one of the classical PNS, it is very important to identify subtle cerebellar manifestations in an otherwise apparently normal individual, as early diagnosis and aggressive treatment can immensely improve the mortality and morbidity associated with this syndrome. CONCLUSION: This case signifies the importance of suspecting PNS as an important differential diagnosis in a young patient presenting with subacute onset progressive cerebellar ataxia and evaluating her extensively for malignancy in spite of no paraneoplastic antibody been detected as early diagnosis and treatment can lead to gratifying response. We do agree that 2 weeks follow up is a short time interval to determine whether the response was sustained or not, for which a long term follow up is required.

A Rare Coexistence of Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration: Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare neuroimmunological disease that may accompany tumors. In this article, we present a patient with progressive gait difficulty who was diagnosed with PCD and, in a rare comorbidity, with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) following malignancy screening. A 46-year-old male patient reported having experienced poor balance for 2 years. A neurological examination revealed nystagmus, intention tremor, and ataxia, and anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin levels were found to be elevated. A brain MRI showed significant cerebellar atrophy in the superior vermis. Malignancy screening for PCD was performed, and thyroid ultrasonography revealed a nodule in the left lobe, while PET/CT detected elevated focal F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the thyroid. Onconeuronal antibodies (anti-Hu, anti-Yo, anti-Ri, anti-amphiphysin, anti-Tr, anti-PPCA-2, anti-Ma, anti-CV-1, and anti-ANNA-3) were negative. Pathologic examination of the thyroid revealed PTC, for which the patient was treated with 0.4 g/kg intravenous immunoglobulin and referred to the medical oncology department. This case demonstrates that clinicians must be alert to the rare comorbidity of PCD and PTC.

Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration and Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome with SOX-1 Antibodies.

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for progressive muscle weakness in both lower limbs and limb ataxia (day 0). Nerve conduction studies showed low compound muscle action potential amplitudes at rest and increased amplitudes after maximum voluntary contraction. Blood testing revealed SOX-1 antibodies. He was diagnosed with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (PCD-LEMS). He died from aspiration pneumonia on day 9. Small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), which had not been obvious on computed tomography, was found during the autopsy. Patients with PCD-LEMS who test positive for SOX-1 antibodies should be carefully evaluated for SCLC.

Anti-Ma-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a patient with nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a devastating paraneoplastic syndrome that occasionally occurs in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Anti-Ma2 is a well-characterized onconeuronal antibody and one of the causes of PCD. There has been only one previous report of anti-Ma2-associated paraneoplastic syndrome as a complication of HL. Here we present a rare case of anti-Ma2-associated PCD in a patient with nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL (NLPHL). CASE PRESENTATION: A 77-year-old man with a 3-month history of gait instability and a 2-month history of oscillopsia was referred to our hospital for further investigation. On examination, his cognition was normal. He had nystagmus in all directions of gaze; specifically, he had horizontal and rotatory nystagmus in the primary position, downbeat nystagmus after right, left, and up gaze, and upbeat nystagmus after down gaze. Although his limb ataxia was mild, his trunk ataxia was so pronounced that he was unable to walk without support. We strongly suspected paraneoplastic syndrome and tested for neuronal autoantibodies. The anti-Ma2 antibody was strongly positive in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid but other antineuronal autoantibodies were negative. Computed tomography showed an enlarged lymph node in the right axilla but no masses. Biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of NLPHL. The NLPHL cells stained with anti-Ma-2 antibody in the cytoplasm, suggesting these abnormal cells contained protein that was cross-reactive with Ma-2. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of anti-Ma2-associated PCD in a patient with NLPHL that was confirmed using immunostaining of the lymph node tissue with anti-Ma2 antibody. Our case confirms an association between anti-Ma2-associated PCD and NLPHL.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration diagnosed by anti-Yo determination in a young woman with early breast cancer.

A 44-year-old woman diagnosed with a HER2 positive early breast cancer, receiving neoadjuvant treatment with paclitaxel and targeted agents, trastuzumab together with pertuzumab, presented to the emergency room with gait instability and upper right limb weakness. The neurological examination was compatible with cerebellar alteration showing right dissymmetry of the finger-nose and heel-knee manoeuvre. A head CT and a brain MRI were performed and negative. The electromyography showed alterations of the pyramidal pathway and somatosensory pathway. In order to determine the cause of the cerebellar affection, a lumbar puncture was performed. The cerebrospinal fluid analysis was non-specific, but the antineuronal anti-Yo antibody was positive, being diagnosed of a paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). A positron emission tomography CT ruled out metastatic disease. The patient completed four cycles of antiHER2 blockade and weekly paclitaxel, achieving a complete pathological response. One year later, she maintains a complete remission but the PCD still prevails.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a patient with breast cancer associated with carbonic anhydrase-related protein VIII autoantibodies.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a neurological syndrome resulting from immune-mediated dysfunction of Purkinje cells and commonly is associated with a tumor. In most cases, well-characterized onconeural antibodies are detected, such as anti-Yo and anti-Ri antibodies. Carbonic anhydrase-related protein VIII (CARP VIII) antibodies associated with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration have been previously described in only two cases. Herein, we present a 75-year-old female who developed progressive cerebellar ataxia. Anti-CARP VIII autoantibodies were found at high titres and screening for underlying malignancies revealed a breast cancer. Intravenous immunoglobulin was administered with poor results. Our report further confirms the role of CARP VIII antibodies in cerebellar degeneration.

Clinical spectrum and diagnostic pitfalls of neurologic syndromes with Ri antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the main syndrome and clinical course in a large cohort of patients with anti-Ri-associated paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome (Ri-PNS). METHODS: Twenty-year retrospective nationwide study and systematic review of the literature. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients with complete clinical information were identified (median age 66 years, range: 47-87 years). In this French cohort, the majority were women (78%). At onset, 4 main patterns were observed: cerebellar syndrome (39%), isolated tremor (24%), oculomotor disturbances (17%), and other symptoms (19%). Course was multistep for 78% of cases. At the time the disease reached the plateau phase (median 12 weeks, range: 1-64 weeks; 28% >3 months), 24 (67%) showed an overt cerebellar syndrome, which was isolated in 3 patients, and was most frequently (21/24 cases) part of a multisystem neurologic disease. Patients manifested a variety of movement disorders, including myoclonus (33%), dystonia (17%), either cervical or oromandibular, and parkinsonism (17%). Most patients had cancer (92%), mainly breast cancer (n = 22). Misdiagnoses concerned 22% of patients (n = 8) and included atypical parkinsonism (n = 2), MS (n = 2), Bickerstaff encephalitis (n = 1), hyperekplexia (n = 1), vestibular neuritis (n = 1), and functional neurologic disorder (n = 1). Survival at 12 months was 73% (95% CI [0.54-0.85]), at 24 months 62% (95% CI [0.41-0.78]), and at 36 months 47% (95% CI [0.25-0.65]). There was no major clinical difference between cases retrieved from the systematic review of the literature (n = 55) and the French cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Ri-PNS is a multisystem neurologic syndrome with prominent cerebellum/brainstem involvement. Opsoclonus-myoclonus is less common than expected, and the disorder can mimic neurodegenerative diseases.