Subacute sensory neuropathy: A remote effect of carcinoma

TLDR

The etiology of subacute sensory neuropathy remains unknown and no effective treatment has been identified. Autopsy and biopsy of dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord in affected patients revealed inflammatory and degenerative lesions of the dorsal root ganglia, posterior roots, and posterior columns. In seven patients, subacute sensory neuropathy was strongly associated with underlying cancer (5 of 7), with four deaths, and histopathology consistently showed inflammatory and degenerative lesions of dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord without viral or antineuronal antibody evidence.

Abstract

Abstract Seven patients with subacute sensory neuropathy are described and the findings in 29 previously reported patients are reviewed. The presence of this characteristic neurological disorder strongly suggests an accompanying neoplasm. Five of 7 patients had cancer, and 4 died. Autopsy was performed on 3, and pathological analysis revealed inflammation and degeneration of dorsal root ganglia and degeneration of posterior roots and posterior columns of the spinal cord. The dorsal root ganglion was biopsied in 4 patients and showed similar inflammatory lesions. Electron microscopical studies showed inflammation and neuronal degneration. No viral particles were seen. Viral cultures of the biopsied ganglia from 4 patients were negative. Antineuronal antibodies were not detected in 2 patients. The cause of this syndrome is unknown, and no treatment has been successful.