Premium
Long‐term prognosis of Japanese Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome patients with or without small‐cell lung carcinoma
Author(s) -
Kojima Yuta,
Uzawa Akiyuki,
Shibuya Kazumoto,
Yasuda Manato,
Ozawa Yukiko,
Oda Fumiko,
Shiraishi Hirokazu,
Motomura Masakatsu,
Kuwabara Satoshi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
clinical and experimental neuroimmunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 1759-1961
DOI - 10.1111/cen3.12584
Subject(s) - medicine , lambert eaton myasthenic syndrome , modified rankin scale , lung cancer , small cell lung carcinoma , myasthenia gravis , surgery , small cell carcinoma , pediatrics , ischemic stroke , ischemia
Objective Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, most frequently associated with small‐cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). The survival of LEMS patients depends on the presence of SCLC, whereas the functional outcome in patients without SCLC has not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to elucidate the long‐term prognosis of LEMS patients with or without SCLC. Methods We collected data from seven consecutive Japanese patients with LEMS without SCLC ( n = 4) or LEMS with SCLC ( n = 3) consulting Chiba university hospital, Chiba, Japan from 2003 to 2019. The functional disability was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale. Results The median observation period was 52 months (range 18–168 months); one LEMS with SCLC patient died as a result of SCLC 18 months after diagnosis, whereas the remaining two LEMS with SCLC patients with complete remission of their tumor still showed improvement in neurological symptoms 52 and 168 months after treatment, respectively. All LEMS patients without SCLC showed a favorable response to treatment and good functional prognosis (modified Rankin Scale 1 or 2) during the follow‐up period (48–120 months). Conclusions In Japanese LEMS patients, the long‐term neurological outcome is generally favorable. Our results also suggest that even in LEMS with SCLC patients, successful treatment for their cancer could result in sustained improvement in neurological symptoms.