Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a patient with pseudomyxoma peritonei and breast cancer: case report and literature review.
The case of a 31-year-old woman with progressive cerebellar degeneration preceding by several months the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer initially and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) with evidence of causative association with the latter is presented. Despite various chemotherapeutic and surgical manipulations, the patient did not substantially improve and succumbed 20 months following initial diagnosis of the neurological disorder. Interestingly, neurological symptoms partially regressed transiently only after surgical debulking of the PMP and not after the remission of breast cancer after various chemotherapeutic regimens suggesting an etiological relationship of the former and the cerebellar degeneration. Early recognition and appropriate therapy of this rare complication of PMP is imperative as it may be crucial for the outcome.
First Department of Medical Oncology, Athens, Greece. ardavanis@yahoo.com
Alexandros
A
Ardavanis
Despina
D
Sykoutri
Panteleimon
P
Kountourakis
Dimitrios
D
Doufexis
Dimitrios
D
Korkolis
Helen
H
Tzerbini
Ioannis
I
Skarlatos
Eftychia
E
Mosa
Gerasimos
G
Rigatos
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011553:Pseudomyxoma Peritonei / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy