A case report on αIN antibody-mediated paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia.
Dan Wang, Min Li, Bin Liu et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 68-year-old woman developed subacute blurred vision, leg weakness, and dysarthria after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Examination showed nystagmus, dysarthria, and limb ataxia. Arterial spin-labeling MRI demonstrated hypoperfusion in both cerebellar hemispheres, and α-internexin antibodies were detected in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Bronchoscopy suggested small-cell lung cancer, supporting a diagnosis of αIN antibody-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia. Intravenous immunoglobulin was followed by partial symptom improvement.
What made this case unusual
The diagnostic picture combined cerebellar hypoperfusion on arterial spin-labeling MRI with αIN antibodies in both serum and CSF, alongside bronchoscopy findings suggestive of small-cell lung cancer.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
In a patient with cerebellar ataxia and suspected malignancy, αIN antibody testing in serum and CSF may help identify a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome.