Skip Navigation

Neuro-Oncology 2002 4(3):192-195; doi:10.1093/neuonc/4.3.192
© 2002 by Society
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tremont-Lukats, I. W.
Right arrow Articles by Groves, M. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Tremont-Lukats, I. W.
Right arrow Articles by Groves, M. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2002 by the Society forNeuro-Oncology

Paraneoplastic chorea: Case study with autopsy confirmation

Ivo W. Tremont-Lukats, Gregory N. Fuller, Teresa Ribalta, Pierre Giglio and Morris D. Groves1

Neuro-Oncology Department (I.W.T.-L., P.G.,M.D.G.), Sections of Neuropathology andImmunocytochemistry (G.N.F.), the University of Texas M.D. Anderson CancerCenter, Houston, TX 77030; and AnatomiaPatológica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain(T.R.)

1 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Morris D. Groves, Department ofNeuro-Oncology, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston,TX 77030.


  Abstract

A 67-year-old man presented with a 7-month history of insidiouslyprogressive chorea, ataxia, and vertigo. Neurologic examination revealeddeficits referable to the basal nuclei, cerebellar vermis, and vestibularnuclei. Small-cell lung cancer was diagnosed by fine-needle biopsy of aparahilar mass. After chemotherapy, the patient's chorea worsened. Anti-Huantibodies were present in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Microscopicexamination of the brain at autopsy revealed diffuse perivascular lymphocyticinfiltrates, microglial activation, and neuronophagia throughout the neuraxis,including the brainstem, cerebellum, lenticular nuclei, striatum, and cerebralcortex. Prominent loss of Purkinje cells was seen in the cerebellar vermis andhemispheres to a lesser degree. Chorea is extremely rare as a paraneoplasticmanifestation of cancer. The florid presentation and the positive findingscontrasted with an unremarkable MRI of the brain. This case illustrates thepreeminence of symptoms and signs over negative MRI findings in paraneoplasticencephalitis.

Received December 4, 2001; Accepted March 12, 2002


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Neurol. Neurosurg. PsychiatryHome page
A Saiz, J Bruna, P Stourac, M C Vigliani, B Giometto, W Grisold, J Honnorat, D Psimaras, R Voltz, and F Graus
Anti-Hu-associated brainstem encephalitis
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, April 1, 2009; 80(4): 404 - 407.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.