Paraneoplastic syndromes of the spinal cord, nerve, and muscle.
Cancer can affect the peripheral nervous system by non-metastatic, sometimes immune-mediated mechanisms. Recognition of these paraneoplastic syndromes is important because it can lead to the detection of the tumor, and also helps to avoid unnecessary studies to determine the cause of the neurologic symptoms in patients with cancer. Many paraneoplastic syndromes of the peripheral nervous system are not associated with serum antibodies that serve as markers of paraneoplasia. For this group of disorders the diagnosis depends on the clinician's index of suspicion and conventional electrophysiologic and laboratory tests. Treatment of the tumor, immunotherapy, or both may improve some of these syndromes. This review focuses on paraneoplastic syndromes of the spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle.
Rudnicki
S A
SA
Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham, Slot 500, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
Dalmau
J
J
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020361:Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology