Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (Q84135)

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration results from a targeted attack on the brainstem as a consequence of a potentially effective tumour immune response initiated by onco-neural antigens derived from a systemic cancer. Patients present subacutely with symptoms and signs referable to the cerebellum. Neurological manifestations typically precede cancer detection. The autoantibody profile in the serum or cerebrospinal fluid predicts the cancer type [see paraneoplastic brainstem encephalitis: neural autoantibody positive definition]. MRI abnormalities are usually limited to cerebellar atrophy and an inflammatory spinal fluid is typical.