Small-cell lung cancer presented with paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis

Abstract

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is a rare neurological syndrome and clinically characterized by memory impairment, cognitive dysfunction, seizures and psychiatric symptoms. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is most frequently found in small-cell lung cancer, among various malignancies and autoimmune causes. The clinical findings, detailed neuropsychiatric evaluation, MR imaging of the central nervous system, EEG, examination of CSF and central nervous system specific autoantibodies are great value for the diagnosis of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis. Although central nervous system specific autoantibodies are an important indicator for differential diagnosis, clinical findings, MR and EEG findings are more prominent in autoantibody negative cases. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman, firstly emerged with central nervous system specific autoantibody negative paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis and small-cell lung cancer.