title: Ovarian cancer: PCD and brain metastases.
abstract: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD), the one of the most common paraneoplastic syndromes, refer to clinical disorders associated mostly with lung, ovarian and breast cancer, but not directly caused by the cancer or its metastases. Pathologic finding is an extensive loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Immunohistochemically, the auto-antibodies on the Purkinje cells had been detected. Clinically, PCD is characterized by sub-acutely evolving pancerebellar symptoms. Neurological dysfunction may appear before the detection of the underlying cancer. Therefore, the surgical exploration is necessary for the final diagnosis. The patient undergoes specific therapy. Soon, neurological status of the patient gets irreparable worse. Death come usually 2-3 years after the first symptoms of the PCD occurs. Case of a 63-years old woman with PCD as the first evidence of her cancer is reported. The patient developed brain metastases and died almost 3 years after the first symptoms of PCD occur
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital "Zagreb", Zagreb, Croatia. vstepi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stepanić
authors.forename: Visnja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matković
authors.forename: Ante
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corusić
authors.forename: Dubravko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barisić
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buković
authors.forename: Jadranka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ilić-Forko
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000473:pathology