Anti-Yo positive paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with ovarian carcinoma: Case report and review of the literature

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare nonmetastatic neurol ogical complication in cancer patients. Anti-Yo is one of the anti-onconeur al antibodies found in PCD patients. It is believed that anti-Yo occurs alm ost always in women and is most likely associated with gynecologic or breas t cancers, although exceptions exist. Here we report a PCD patient with ova rian cancer having high-titer anti-Yo, The acute onset of her PCD symptoms mimicked that of a stroke, Her ovarian cancer tissue contained abundant pla sma cells and lymphocytes. After a thorough review of the literature, we pr opose a schematic hypothesis for the autoimmune pathogenesis of PCD, Despit e anecdotal case reports of neurological improvement with different combina tions of treatment, including IVIg, there is still no definitely effective treatment for PCD. Further research on the pathogenesis of PCD may lead to more effective therapies. (C) 1999 Academic Press.