Short communication, Note
Ovarian Cancer: PCD and Brain Metastases
Vesna Stepanić
Višnja Matković
Ante Ćorušić
Dubravko Barišić
Damir Buković
Jadranka Ilić-Forko
Abstract
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD), the one of the most common paraneoplastic syndromes, refer to clinical
disorders associated mostly with lung, ovarian and breast cancer, but not directly caused by the cancer or its metastases.
Pathologic finding is an extensive loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Immunohistocemicaly, the auto-antibodies on
the Purkinje cells had been detected. Clinically, PCD is characterized by sub-acutely evolving pancerebellar symptoms.
Neurological dysfunction may appear before the detection of the underlying cancer. Therefore, the surgical exploration is
necessary for the final diagnosis. The patient undergoes specific therapy. Soon, neurological status of the patient gets irreparable
worse. Death come usually 2–3 years after the first symptoms of the PCD occurs. Case of a 63-years old woman
with PCD as the first evidence of her cancer is reported. The patient developed brain metastases and died almost 3 years
after the first symptoms of PCD occur.
Keywords
auto-antibodies; brain metastases; gynecologic malignancies; paraneoplastic syndromes
Hrčak ID:
27403
URI
Publication date:
10.4.2007.
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