[Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes]

Neurological paraneoplastic syndromes are non-metastatic complications of systemic cancers, often resulting from an immune response triggered by the crossed expression of neuronal antigens by tumour cells. Several neurological syndromes such as cerebellar degeneration, sensory neuronopathy, limbic encephalitis, encephalomyelitis or the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are most often paraneoplastic and require prompt cancer screening, particularly if the patient shows risk factors for cancer. Although there are many exceptions to this rule, a given syndrome is often associated with a particular antibody and the corresponding tumour. A prompt diagnosis of neurological paraneoplastic syndrome is of major importance as it often reveals the underlying tumour. The treatment relies on both the elimination of the neoplasia and the control of the immune response.