Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes and the role of PET imaging.
Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are immune-mediated effects of cancer that involve the nervous system and are associated with various anti-neuronal antibodies. They can be associated with several cancers such as lung, gynecologic, thymic, testicular and others, but the diagnosis of cancer often becomes a challenge, since paraneoplastic neurological syndromes usually precede the cancer presentation by months or even years. Furthermore, even when the cancer develops, the tumor size remains small and usually undetectable by conventional diagnostic tests and imaging. Positron emission tomography imaging may be an adjunct to timely diagnosis of the occult malignancy in order to employ the specific cancer treatment. Furthermore, positron emission tomography can assess the extent of the functional abnormality in the brain and monitor its response to treatment.
Sioka
Chrissa
C
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, University Campus, Ioannina, Greece. csioka@yahoo.com
Fotopoulos
Andreas
A
Kyritsis
Athanassios P
AP
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D015624:Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D020361:Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18