Life-threatening polyneuropathy heralding renal cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To report the occurrence of life-threatening polyneuropathy in association with renal cell carcinoma.


METHODS
Case report and review of the medical literature.


RESULTS
A 65-year-old man developed a fulminant, life-threatening sensory motor polyneuropathy several months before renal cell carcinoma was identified. Dramatic symptomatic improvement ensued after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, although the patient succumbed to complications of the tumor years later.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic sensory motor polyneuropathy is a known paraneoplastic syndrome associated with renal cell carcinoma. This report emphasizes that in rare conditions, the polyneuropathy could take an acute demyelinating form, which is important for clinicians to recognize.
Roy
Michael J
MJ
Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA. mroy@usuhs.mil
May
Eugene F
EF
Jabbari
Bahman
B
D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D020364:Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*