Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis due to thymic carcinoid

Abstract

Limbic encephalitis is a multifocal inflammatory disorder characterized by personality changes, irritability, memory loss, seizures, and, in some cases, dementia. In many cases, it may occur as a paraneoplastic syndrome and therefore the diagnosis of limbic encephalitis should raise the possibility of occult malignancy. We present a case of limbic encephalitis associated with a thymic carcinoid tumor. To our knowledge the association of thymic carcinoid tumor with paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis has not previously been reported. © 2008 by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.