Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome and polyglandular autoimmune syndrome type 2 in a case of small cell lung cancer

• Published in: Thorax Vol. 63; no. 12; pp. 1118 - 1119
• Main Authors: Watanabe, S, Tanaka, J, Ohta, T, Yoshizawa, H, Gejyo, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society 01.12.2008; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Aged; Ataxia; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer therapies; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chemotherapy; Diabetes; Female; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - etiology; Glucose; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - complications; Medical prognosis; Medical sciences; Metastasis; Molecular weight; Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System - complications; Paresthesia - etiology; Pneumology; Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune - complications; Proteins; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma - complications; Autoimmunity; Nervous system diseases; Lung; Malignant tumor; Case study; Type; Anesthesia; Paraneoplastic syndrome; Circulatory system; Cardiology; Neurological disorder; Small cell carcinoma; Cancer
• ISSN: 0040-6376; 1468-3296
• DOI: 10.1136/thx.2007.093211

We report a female patient with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and clinical findings consistent with polyglandular autoimmune syndrome type 2 (PGA2) and paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of SCLC associated with PGA2 and PNS. All of the autoantibodies detected before anticancer treatment decreased below the upper normal limits after serial treatment, and the patient’s clinical symptoms also improved. Cross reactivity of autoantibodies may have contributed to the complicated clinical picture of this patient.