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Hemiballismus Secondary to Metastatic Lung Cancer: A Case Report
Rim Tazi1, Zakaria Salimi1, Hajar Fadili1
1Neurology, Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohamed VI University of Health Sciences (UM6SS), Casablanca, MAR.
Cureus
|February 28, 2022
Summary
Lung cancer metastasis can cause hemiballismus, a rare movement disorder. Treating the underlying lung cancer with radio-chemotherapy effectively reduced the patient's hemiballismus symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Oncology
Background:
- Hemiballismus is an uncommon neurological complication.
- Brain metastasis from lung cancer is a rare cause of hemiballismus.
Observation:
- A 62-year-old female presented with acute-onset left-sided hemiballismus.
- Brain MRI revealed metastasis in the right thalamus.
- CT scan identified a primary lung tumor, later diagnosed as small cell lung carcinoma via biopsy.
Findings:
- The patient's hemiballismus was attributed to a right thalamic metastasis from small cell lung cancer.
- While antipsychotics can manage symptoms, the primary treatment involves addressing the causal lesion.
- Successful radio-chemotherapy for the lung cancer led to a gradual resolution of hemiballismus.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering brain metastasis in unexplained hemiballismus.
- Effective oncological treatment can palliate neurological complications like hemiballismus.
- The subthalamic nucleus's role in movement disorders is reinforced by thalamic involvement in metastasis.
