Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis as a cause of new onset of seizures in a patient with non-small cell lung carcinoma: a case report
2008

Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis and Seizures in Lung Cancer

publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Voutsas Vasileios, Mylonaki Efrosyni, Gymnopoulos Konstantinos, Kapetangiorgis Athanasios, Grigoriadis Christos, Papaemanuell Styliani, Vafiadis Evaggelos, Christaki Pandora

Primary Institution: 'G. Papanikolaou' General Hospital, Greece

Hypothesis

Is paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis a rare cause of seizures in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma?

Conclusion

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is a rare cause of new onset of seizures in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Supporting Evidence

  • The patient had a 50% reduction in tumor mass after chemotherapy.
  • Neurological symptoms included short-term memory loss and confusion.
  • Brain biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis.

Takeaway

Sometimes, people with lung cancer can have seizures because of a rare condition called paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis, which affects their brain.

Methodology

The case report describes a 64-year-old male patient with stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma who developed seizures and was diagnosed with paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis through clinical evaluation and brain biopsy.

Limitations

The study is based on a single case report, limiting the generalizability of the findings.

Participant Demographics

64-year-old male patient with a history of lung cancer and smoking.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1752-1947-2-270

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