["Tingling feet," forgetfulness, and progressive personality changes in a 63-year-old patient]

Internist (Berl). 2004 Mar;45(3):341-6. doi: 10.1007/s00108-003-1115-1.
[Article in German]

Abstract

A 63-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with leg and forearm paresthesias. We found progressive ataxia, dementia, and psychosocial deterioration. The clinical symptoms, the neurologic and psychiatric abnormalities together with the inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid alteration and the cerebral magnetic resonance imaging changes suggested a paraneoplastic etiology. It was confirmed by paraneoplastic antineuronal antibodies in the patient's serum and the histological diagnosis of a small cell bronchial carcinoma. The prognosis of patients with paraneoplastic symptoms is the better the earlier a diagnosis is established and antitumor therapy is initiated.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyps / diagnosis
  • Adenomatous Polyps / pathology
  • Amnesia, Retrograde / etiology*
  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / pathology
  • Dementia / diagnosis
  • Dementia / etiology*
  • Dementia / pathology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Fatigue / etiology*
  • Female
  • Foot / innervation*
  • Goiter, Nodular / diagnosis
  • Goiter, Nodular / pathology
  • Humans
  • Limbic Encephalitis / diagnosis*
  • Limbic Encephalitis / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / pathology
  • Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy / diagnosis*
  • Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy / pathology
  • Paresthesia / etiology*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology