Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD)
Overview
An inflammatory autoimmune process that occurs due to the destruction of cells in the cerebellum, the part of the brain which coordinates muscular activity. PCD is considered one of a more general classification of diseases known as paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes.
Common Symptoms
Loss of fine motor coordination, difficulty walking or swallowing, slurred speech, memory loss, vision problems, vertigo, sensory loss in limbs, dementia, seizures, memory loss, and loss of muscle tone.
Coexisting Diseases and Conditions
Most cases of PCD are caused by malignancies originating in the breast, ovaries, lungs, or lymphatic system, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.
Risk Factors and Prevalence
More common in females.
Recent Research
- Update on paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (2021)
- Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration: The importance of including CDR2L as a diagnostic marker (2021)
- Immunological bases of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and therapeutic implications (2020)
- Localization of CDR2L and CDR2 in paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (2020)
Sources
- Article Sources
Aly, R., & Emmady, P. D. (2021). Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560638/
Berzero, G., Hacohen, Y., Komorowski, L., Scharf, M., Dehais, C., Leclercq, D., Fourchotte, V., Buecher, B., Honnorat, J., Graus, F., Delattre, J.-Y., & Psimaras, D. (2017). Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with anti-ITPR1 antibodies. Neurology – Neuroimmunology Neuroinflammation, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000000326
Paraneoplastic Neurologic Syndromes. (n.d.). NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders). Retrieved July 12, 2021, from https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/paraneoplastic-neurologic-syndromes/