title: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in pediatric Hodgkin disease.
abstract: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare neurological complication in adults with extracerebral neoplasms. It is characterized by a diffuse cerebellar dysfunction, usually leading to severe neurological sequelae. In childhood, this complication is extremely rare. We report on PCD as primary manifestation of Hodgkin disease (HD) in a thirteen-year old boy. On magnetic resonance imaging, irreversible atrophy of the cerebellum developed within three months. Antibodies against Purkinje cells were detectable at diagnosis and normalised after successful treatment of the lymphoma. Cerebellar symptoms, however, only partially resolved. The necessity of a search for a malignant tumour is emphasised in the presence of an otherwise unexplained, subacutely developing, diffuse cerebellar dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropaediatrics, University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Claviez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Altermatt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneppenheim
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stephani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis*