Antineuronal autoantibodies induced paraneoplasic syndrome in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: case report

Secondary psychiatric symptoms are usually suspected when there is an atypical presentation of the symptoms or a lack of response to psychotropic medication.

Our case is about a woman aged 62 years old, with a history of mental disorder who presented psychiatric symptomatology after years of being stabilized by antipsychotics. She was later investigated due to a mass in her breast. Carcinoma was diagnosed, and her psychiatric symptomatology was resolved after the tumerectomy.

The therapeutic difficulty is the major problem of psychic disorders in the context of paraneoplastic syndrome. Several literature review have suggested a relationship between schizophrenia and antineuronal antibodies in the context of paraneoplastic syndrome. Treating the tumor can solve psychiatric symptoms better than psychotic treatment.

The aim of our study is to highlight the importance of a complete medical evaluation to identify the psychiatric presentations of organic disorders associated with psychiatric manifestation and to ensure an early diagnosis.