Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
Evidence: Antibody
Names
Paraneoplastic syndrome (umbrella term involving all paraneoplastic conditions)
Paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia
PCD
PCA
Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome
PNS
Description
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare autoimmune disorder that occurs in patients with carcinoma. PCD results when the immune system does not differentiate between tumor cells and healthy cells in the cerebellum and attacks both, causing damage. Cancer is often undetected in these patients until symptoms of PCD emerge. Disease progresses quickly, and patients will experience motor and cognitive difficulties that become disabling within less than a few weeks. Treatments are available to manage symptoms, but prognosis is usually poor.
Patient Groups
Bloggers
None found
Prevalence
US Cases: 4,000 [Vogrig 2020]. 28% of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, which have a prevalence of 4.37 per 100,000.
Typical Age of onset
No data currently available favoring prevalence in a particular age group.
Symptoms
Difficulty controlling movement
Double vision
Tremor/shakiness in hands
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty swallowing
Loss of balance
Involuntary eye movement (nystagmus)
Dizziness
Nausea
Vertigo
Uncoordinated movement
Memory loss
References
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)
Mayo Clinic
Medscape
Peterson et al (1992)
Vogrig et al (2020)
Profile by Rohini Kallianpur
