Thymic Carcinoma Associated with Cerebellar Degeneration
- PMID: 30756016
- PMCID: PMC6346953
- DOI: 10.12890/2018_000780
Thymic Carcinoma Associated with Cerebellar Degeneration
Abstract
We present the case of a 57-year-old man with ataxia and clinical and radiological features of cerebellar degeneration. Computed tomography showed a mediastinal mass and the patient was diagnosed with thymic carcinoma. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is aninfrequent disorder and its association with thymic carcinoma very rare.
Learning points: Unexplained subacute neurological symptoms in an adult patient should beconsidered in the possibility of a paraneoplastic syndrome. In patients over 50 years of age, acute or subacute cerebellar degeneration is paraneoplastic in 50% of cases.Small-cell lung cancer is the most common cancer-causing paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD). Despite this, mediastinal tumours such as thymus neoplasms should not be ruled out in the differential diagnosis.Antineuronal antibodies are not detected in 40% of patients with PCD, sothe exclusion of other aetiologies or the demonstration of cancer formsthe basis of the final diagnosis.
Keywords: Thymic carcinoma; cerebellar degeneration; paraneoplastic syndrome.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflicts of Interests: The Authors declare that there are no competing interests.
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