[Autoimmune paraneoplastic neurological syndromes]

Abstract

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are well established causes of neurological dysfunction in cancer patients. Recently an auto-immune origin has been found for the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, the subacute sensory neuronopathy of Denny-Brown, the paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, the paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus as well as a few other minor syndromes. Indeed patients suffering from these diseases have been found to produce antibodies directed against the central nervous system. These antibodies can be detected as much as a year before the cancer is found and they are therefore interesting for neurological and oncologic diagnosis.