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.
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.
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.
More common in females.
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/
