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. 2012 Nov;4 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):49-55.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2012.s005.

Primary lung carcinoid, a rare cause of paraparesis: report of a case and review of the literature

Aikaterini N Visouli  1 , Kaid Darwiche, Georgios I Kourtoglou, Paul Zarogoulidis, Andreas Mpakas, Nikolaos Machairiotis, Aikaterini Stylianaki, Chistos Christofis, Nikolaos Katsikogiannis, Kosmas Tsakiridis, Nicolaos Courcoutsakis, Konstantinos Zarogoulidis
Affiliations

Primary lung carcinoid, a rare cause of paraparesis: report of a case and review of the literature

Aikaterini N Visouli et al. J Thorac Dis. 2012 Nov.

Abstract

Carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors mainly involving the gastrointestinal tract, lungs and bronchi. They were considered benign with slow growth, but they can be malignant in a substantial percentage of patients (metastasizing to liver, bones, skin, etc). Endocrine activity results in carcinoid syndrome. Proximal myopathy has been reported in 7% of patients with carcinoid syndrome. Bronchopulmonary and thymic carcinoids producing adrenocorticotropic hormone can cause Cushing's syndrome, a main feature of which is myopathy. There are a few reports of carcinoids associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, including neuropathy. We hereby present an extremely rare case of a primary lung carcinoid presented with paraparesis due to polyneuropathy, and review the relevant literature. To the best of our knowledge there is no similar previous report. Complete resolution of paraparesis after excision of the lung carcinoid suggests paraneoplastic neurological syndrome.

Keywords: Carcinoid; carcinoid tumor/complications; paraneoplastic neurological syndrome; paraneoplastic syndromes/etiology; paraparesis; polyneuropathy.

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Figures

Video 1
Video 1
Guide for a rare case of a primary lung carcinoid presented with paraparesis (due to bilateral symmetrical polyneuropathy) that was completely resolved after surgical resection
Figure 1
Figure 1
Posteroanterior chest x-ray, non-revealing.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Marked deformities of the bodies of the 12th thoracic, the 1st and the 3rd lumbar vertebrae with bone protrusion of the deformed vertebral bodies (attributed to stable fractures), and a degree of intervertebral disc bulging (mainly L3-L4, and to a lesser extent L4-L5). The resulting spinal stenosis and compression of the meningeal sac were not considered severe. The vertebral arches appeared normal and compression of the nerve roots was not revealed.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Thoracic computed tomography revealed a small peripheral paracardiac right-middle lobe tumor with a maximal diameter of 1.8 cm.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Posteroanterior chest x-ray on discharge (5th postoperative day).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Thoracic computed tomography at 6-month follow-up. Absence of recurrence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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