Progressive necrotic myelopathy as a paraneoplastic syndrome: report of a case and some pathogenetic considerations.
Progressive necrotic myelopathy is a syndrome characterized by a spotty necrotic degeneration of the whole spinal cord in both anterior and posterior horns. This syndrome was recorded in a man suffering from a lymphoplasmatocytoid lymphoma. Whilst the usual evolution of this neurological syndrome is inexorably fatal, our case had a better outcome, due to the good response of the neoplasm to therapy. Progressive necrotic myelopathy is an uncommon complication of cancer, but it is probably incorrectly recognized in a number of cases. Two possible pathogenetic hypotheses are suggested: an autoimmune or an infective mechanism.
Grignani
G
G
Department of Internal Medicine, I.R.C.C.S. Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Gobbi
P G
PG
Piccolo
G
G
Bertoloni
D
D
Rossi
A
A
Pieresca
C
C
Legnani
M C
MC
Ascari
E
E
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*