Paraneoplastic Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome: initial presentation of non-Hodgkins lymphoma

A 69 year-old man developed sudden-onset multidirectional, constant, involuntary ocular movements associated with vertigo, truncal ataxia and involuntary movements of the lower limbs. These features were typical of opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (OMS). MRI of the brain was normal. CSF studies showed a single oligoclonal IgG band. A chest x-ray showed a 2-centimeter lesion in the periphery of the left lung. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of this lesion revealed large B-cell lymphoma. OMS can be either idiopathic or a paraneoplastic manifestation of underlying malignancy. 20 of OMS cases are paraneoplastic in origin; breast and lung cancer are responsible for 70 of these. Association of this syndrome with non-Hodgkins lymphoma is rare, with only one case previously reported.