Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis with Aquaporin-4 Antibody Positivity in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Rare Occurrence

• Published in: Neurology India Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 1087 - 1089
• Main Authors: Mahale, Rohan, Mehta, Anish, Buddaraju, Kiran, Javali, Mahendra, Shankar, Abhinandan, John, Aju, Srinivasa, Rangasetty
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2019; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd
• Subjects: Aged; Antibodies; Antigens; Aquaporin 4 - immunology; Aquaporins; Cancer; Cancer metastasis; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - complications; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - diagnosis; Care and treatment; Elderly; Elderly patients; Etiology (Medicine); Female; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Inflammatory diseases; Kidney cancer; Kidney Neoplasms - complications; Kidney Neoplasms - diagnosis; Metastasis; Myelitis, Transverse - diagnosis; Myelitis, Transverse - etiology; Myelitis, Transverse - immunology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Paralysis; Paraplegia; Paraplegia - diagnosis; Paraplegia - etiology; Patients; Renal cell carcinoma; Spinal cord; Thyroid gland; Tumors; Urine; renal cell carcinoma; transverse myelitisKey Message: Serum aquaporin 4 antibodies positivity can occur in paraneoplastic long segment myelitis; aquaporin-4; Antibody; transverse myelitis
• ISSN: 0028-3886; 1998-4022
• DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.266293

The occurrence of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) in an elderly patient should evoke search for underlying systemic malignancy. Intramedullary spinal cord metastases and paraneoplastic myelopathy are the most common etiology for LETM in patients with systemic malignancy. The occurrence of LETM in association with renal cell carcinoma with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positivity has not been reported. We report an elderly woman who presented with acute paraplegia and was diagnosed as having LETM with AQP4 positivity and renal cell carcinoma.