Autoimmune paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in ovarian carcinoma patients treated with plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin: A case report Journal Article
| Authors: | Ben David, Y.; Warner, E.; Levitan, M.; Sutton, D. M. S.; Malkin, M. G.; Dalmau, J. O. |
| Article Title: | Autoimmune paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in ovarian carcinoma patients treated with plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin: A case report |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a remote effect of cancer most frequently associated with carcinoma of the ovary or lung. In many patients, antibodies to Purkinje cells are found. Progressive, incapacitating cerebellar dysfunction occurs in most cases, and no treatment has produced even a transient response in any significant proportion of patients. METHODS. A woman age 81 years with recurrent ovarian carcinoma and PCD, confirmed clinically, radiologically, and serologically, was treated with 5 exchanges of I plasma volume each, followed by intravenous immunoglobulin at a dose of 1g/Kg-1 body weight daily for 2 days. RESULTS. Several weeks after the treatment, the patient had significant improvement of her dizziness, tremor, and dysmetria. She refused maintenance therapy and began to deteriorate neurologically 3 months after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Although this is only a single ease report, the authors believe that the dire prognosis of PCD and the lack of effective therapy warrant a trial of this combined treatment early in the course of the disease. Confirmatory evidence of the efficacy of such an approach would be welcomed. |
| Keywords: | aged; aged, 80 and over; case report; ovarian neoplasms; purkinje cells; cancer immunotherapy; immunoglobulin; plasmapheresis; carcinoma; ovary carcinoma; autoimmunity; ovarian carcinoma; paraneoplastic syndrome; autoimmune diseases; tremor; autoantibodies; immunoglobulins, intravenous; vertigo; cerebellar diseases; paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration; paraneoplastic syndromes; intravenous immunoglobulin; dysmetria; cerebellum degeneration; humans; human; female; priority journal; article |
| Journal Title: | Cancer |
| Volume: | 78 |
| Issue: | 10 |
| ISSN: | 0008-543X |
| Publisher: | Wiley Blackwell |
| Date Published: | 1996-11-15 |
| Start Page: | 2153 |
| End Page: | 2156 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19961115)78:10<2153::aid-cncr16>3.0.co;2-y |
| PUBMED: | 8918408 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Article -- Export Date: 22 November 2017 -- Source: Scopus |
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
Related MSK Work