Paraneoplastic Stiff Person Syndrome in Early-Stage Breast Cancer with Positive Anti-Amphiphysin Antibodies

Vitalie Vacaras; Enia Eleonora Cucu; Roxana Radu; Dafin Fior Muresanu

doi:10.1159/000508942

Paraneoplastic Stiff Person Syndrome in Early-Stage Breast Cancer with Positive Anti-Amphiphysin Antibodies

Case Rep Neurol. 2020 Oct 2;12(3):339-347. doi: 10.1159/000508942. eCollection 2020 Sep-Dec.

Authors

Vitalie Vacaras^{1

2}, Enia Eleonora Cucu^{1

2}, Roxana Radu^{1

2}, Dafin Fior Muresanu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
² Cluj County Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Abstract

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurologic disorder, characterized by muscle rigidity and spasms. Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies are associated with the classic form of SPS, while antibodies against amphiphysin are associated with the paraneoplastic form of the disease. We present the case of a patient with paraneoplastic SPS, presenting with muscle cramps of lower extremities that progressed to severe muscle rigidity and spasms, associated with a right breast tumor and positive anti-amphiphysin antibodies. Paraneoplastic SPS is a rare neurological disorder, challenging for the physicians both to diagnose and treat.

Keywords: Anti-amphiphysin; Cancer; Stiff person.

Publication types

Case Reports