paraneoplastic cerebellar atrophy
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a type of paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by the progressive onset of cerebellar dysfunction not explained by tumoral invasion, metastasis, or treatment side effects.
Epidemiology
It is an uncommon paraneoplastic syndrome that has been reported in patients with small-cell lung cancer, ovary malignancies, breast carcinoma, and Hodgkin's lymphoma .
Clinical presentation
Cerebellar dysfunction may manifest as dizziness, nausea/vomiting, ataxia, diplopia, dysarthria, or dysphagia . A rapidly progressing gait unsteadiness is usually the key symptom that prompt for neuroimaging.
Radiographic features
Brain imaging with CT or MRI may show either normal cerebellum, particularly in initial presentation, to eventual diffuse cerebellar atrophy. Cerebellar hemispheric enlargement and cortical-meningeal enhancement have been reported .
Treatment and prognosis
The management is focused on the tumor treatment and supportive therapies.