Introduction and importance: Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes encompass a group of neurologic disorders arising from pathological processes unrelated to metastasis, metabolic disturbances, infections, coagulopathy, or treatment-related side effects. These syndromes can affect various regions of the nervous system, resulting in diverse clinical manifestations.
Case presentation: The authors present a rare case of anti-amphiphysin-associated meningoencephalitis in a South Asian Pakistani woman. Initially, the patient was managed for suspected infectious meningitis, but empirical treatment failed to yield improvement. Subsequent investigations unveiled a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to breast cancer.
Discussion: Diagnosing these clinical entities is challenging due to their multifaceted presentations, often leading to delayed identification, increased patient suffering, economic burdens, and preventable complications.
Conclusion: Anti-amphiphysin-associated meningoencephalitis is a rare manifestation of paraneoplastic syndromes. It is crucial to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the diverse presentations of paraneoplastic syndromes.
Keywords: anti amphiphysin; atypical presentation; autoimmune meningoencephalitis; breast carcinoma; corticosteroids; diagnostic masquerade; invasive ductal carcinoma; paraneoplastic neurological syndrome.
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.