Small cell carcinoma with paraneoplastic polyneuropathy and tumor embolization: a case report and literature review

Although small cell cancer of the lung may have protean manifestations, tumor embolization and inability to identify the primary sites are unusual features. We present a patient with anti-Hu antibody-associated paraneoplastic sensory polyneuropathy and tumor embolism diagnosed by endovascular biopsy to be due to small cell cancer, the primary site of which was not evident. To our knowledge, this patient represents only the second individual to be described with tumor embolization complicating small cell cancer and reminds clinicians of the extended spectrum of this disease.