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Paraneoplastic vasculitis of nerve: A remote effect of cancer
Author(s) -
Johnson Peter C.,
Rolak Loren A.,
Hamilton Robert H.,
Laguna Jose F.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410050505
Subject(s) - mononeuritis multiplex , medicine , vasculitis , malignancy , pathology , cancer , autopsy , peripheral nervous system , wallerian degeneration , nerve biopsy , peripheral neuropathy , dermatology , central nervous system , disease , endocrinology , diabetes mellitus
The development of mononeuritis multiplex brought three men to medical attention weeks to months prior to the diagnosis of a malignancy. In each case, sural nerve biopsy exhibited active wallerian degeneration with vasculitis. Two of the men died and at autopsy were found to have clinically unrecognized oat cell carcinoma and carcinomatous sensory neuropathy with brainstem encephalitis. The third patient is still alive but was found to have a lymphoma and has subsequently developed a liposarcoma. The vasculitis in all 3 cases seems limited mainly to the peripheral nervous system. Mononeuritis multiplex due to vasculitis may represent a new remote effect of cancer on the nervous system.