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Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration

Evidence: Antibody

Names

Paraneoplastic syndrome (umbrella term involving all paraneoplastic conditions)
Paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia
PCD
PCA
Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome
PNS

Description

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare autoimmune disorder that occurs in patients with carcinoma. PCD results when the immune system does not differentiate between tumor cells and healthy cells in the cerebellum and attacks both, causing damage. Cancer is often undetected in these patients until symptoms of PCD emerge. Disease progresses quickly, and patients will experience motor and cognitive difficulties that become disabling within less than a few weeks. Treatments are available to manage symptoms, but prognosis is usually poor.

Bloggers

None found

Prevalence

US Cases: 4,000 [Vogrig 2020]. 28% of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, which have a prevalence of 4.37 per 100,000.

Typical Age of onset

No data currently available favoring prevalence in a particular age group.

Symptoms

  • Difficulty controlling movement

  • Double vision

  • Tremor/shakiness in hands

  • Difficulty speaking

  • Difficulty swallowing

  • Loss of balance

  • Involuntary eye movement (nystagmus)

  • Dizziness

  • Nausea

  • Vertigo

  • Uncoordinated movement

  • Memory loss