["Tingling feet," forgetfulness, and progressive personality changes in a 63-year-old patient].
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.
Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Universität Regensburg, thomas.karrasch@klinik.uni-r.de
T
T
Karrasch
M
M
Weil
R
R
Voltz
C
C
Schulz
F
F
Audebert
M
M
Woenckhaus
F
F
Hofstädter
U
U
Bogdahn
J
J
Schölmerich
A
A
Schäffler
A
A
Steinbrecher
D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000648:Amnesia, Retrograde / Q000209:etiology*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation*; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020363:Limbic Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D020364:Paraneoplastic Polyneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000209:etiology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology