Negative-antibody paraneoplastic syndrome complicating small cell carcinoma

The neurological paraneoplastic syndromes represent nonmetastatic complications of cancer and may affect several levels of the nervous system. They are thought to be immunologically-mediated. The syndrome predates the diagnosis of cancer by months to years in two thirds of cases. We report the case of a female patient presenting with a cerebellar syndrome and a sensory neuronopathy on a background of severe weight loss. We searched for occult malignancy and later diagnosed her to be suffering from a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to small cell carcinoma of the lung. Paraneoplastic antibodies were negative. She was subsequently treated with chemotherapy.