Clinical characteristics of patients with paraneoplastic myelopathy

Abstract

Paraneoplastic myelopathy is rare paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. We reviewed patients through medical records system and screened patients who presented with myelopathy, and/or coexisting cancer, and/or onconeural antibodies. Nine patients were identified as paraneoplastic myelopathy presenting with progressive subacute (2/9) or insidious (7/9) myelopathy. CSF abnormalities included elevated protein, 5; pleocytosis, 4; excess oligoclonal bands, 6. Seven patients had onconeural antibody. Cancer was confirmed histopathologically in 6 and diagnosed by PET-CT in 1. Four patients had symmetric, longitudinally extensive grey matter or tract-specific changes on spinal cord MRI. It was associated with significant morbidity and had poor response to treatment.

Keywords: Autoimmune; Myelopathy; Paraneoplastic; Spinal cord.