title: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the tonsil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a classical tumor-associated, immune-mediated disease typically associated with gynecological malignancies, small-cell lung-cancer or lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we present the case of a 38-year old male with an over 12 months rapidly progressive cerebellar syndrome. Extensive diagnostic workup revealed selective hypermetabolism of the right tonsil in whole-body PET. Histological examination after tonsillectomy demonstrated a lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the tonsil and the tongue base strongly suggesting a paraneoplastic cause of the cerebellar syndrome. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of an association of a lymphoepithelial carcinoma, a rare pharyngeal tumor, with PCD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cases of classical paraneoplastic syndromes an extensive search for neoplasms should be performed including whole-body PET to detect tumors early in the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. Christian.Henke@kgu.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Henke
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rieger
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Middendorp
authors.forename: Helmuth
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ziemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020362:Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*