title: Achalasia, chronic sensory neuropathy, and N-type calcium channel autoantibodies: beneficial response to IVIG.
abstract: Autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility (AGID) can result from paraneoplastic onconeuronal antibodies. Patients may present with regional hypomotility anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. We report a case of a woman who developed an insidious sensory neuropathy and achalasia. She was found to have a high-titer of N-type voltage gated-calcium channel (VGCC) antibodies. She demonstrated clinical and electrophysiological improvement of her neuropathy, as well as improvement of her swallowing and gait, after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA, 01805, USA.
authors.forename: Hugh J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA, 01805, USA. Jayashri.Srinivasan@lahey.org.
authors.forename: Jayashri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
keywords: Autoantibodies; Esophageal achalasia; Gait ataxia; Intravenous immunoglobulins; N-type calcium channel; Paraneoplastic syndromes