A case of paraneoplastic demyelinating motor polyneuropathy

To be, or not to be… Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is currently the most frequent cause of acute flaccid paralysis on a global scale, being an autoimmune disorder wherein demyelination of the peripheral nerves occurs. Its main clinical features are a symmetrical ascending muscle weakness with reduced osteotendinous reflexes and variable sensory involvement. GBS most commonly occurs after an infection, especially viral (including COVID-19), but may also transpire after immunization with certain vaccines or in the development of specific malignancies. Immunoglobulins, plasmapheresis, and glucocorticoids represent the principal treatment modalities, however patients with severe disease progression may require supportive therapy in an intensive care unit. Due to its symptomology, which overlaps with numerous neurological and infectious illnesses, the diagnosis of GBS may often be misattributed to pathologies that are essentially different from this syndrome. Moreover, many of these require specific treatment methods distinct to those recommended for GBS, in lack of which the prognosis of the patient is drastically affected. Such diseases include exposure to toxins either environmental or foodborne, central nervous system infections, metabolic or serum ion alterations, demyelinating pathologies, or even conditions amenable to neurosurgical intervention. This extensive narrative review aims to systematically and comprehensively tackle the most notable and challenging differential diagnoses of GBS, emphasizing on the clinical discrepancies between the diseases, the appropriate paraclinical investigations, and suitable management indications.

Association between chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and gastrointestinal malignancies

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an uncommon and under-recognized immune-mediated disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It is associated with both infectious and non-infectious etiologies and presents in several variant forms. In rare instances, CIDP has been reported in association with gastrointestinal (esophageal, hepatic, colorectal, and pancreatic) malignancies. The diagnosis of malignancy is typically preceded by weeks to months by that of CIDP, though the inverse may also be seen. As with other etiologies of CIDP, cases associated with gastrointestinal malignancies are often treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, and/or plasma exchange, with improvement or resolution of neurological symptoms in the majority of cases. In this review, we provide a practical overview of CIDP, with an emphasis on recognizing the clinical association between CIDP and gastrointestinal malignancies.

Motor chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in 17 patients: Clinical characteristics, electrophysiological study, and response to treatment

Motor chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare and poorly described subtype of CIDP. We aimed to study their clinical and electrophysiological characteristics and response to treatment. From a prospective database of CIDP patients, we included patients with definite or probable CIDP with motor signs and without sensory signs/symptoms at diagnosis. Patients were considered to have pure motor CIDP (PM-CIDP) if sensory conductions were normal or to have motor predominant CIDP (MPred-CIDP) if ≥2 sensory nerve action potential amplitudes were abnormal. Among the 700 patients with CIDP, 17 (2%) were included (PM-CIDP n = 7, MPred-CIDP n = 10); 71% were male, median age at onset was 48 years (range: 13-76 years), 47% had an associated inflammatory or infectious disease or neoplasia. At the more severe disease stage, 94% of patients had upper and lower limb weakness, with distal and proximal weakness in 4 limbs for 56% of them. Three-quarters (75%) responded to intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) and four of five patients to corticosteroids including three of three patients with MPred-CIDP. The most frequent conduction abnormalities were conduction blocks (CB, 82%) and F-wave abnormalities (88%). During follow up, 4 of 10 MPred-CIDP patients developed mild sensory symptoms; none with PM-CIDP did so. Patients with PM-CIDP had poorer outcome (median ONLS: 4; range: 22-5) compared to MPred-CIDP (2, range: 0-4; P = .03) at last follow up. This study found a progressive clinical course in the majority of patients with motor CIDP as well as frequent associated diseases, CB, and F-wave abnormalities. Corticosteroids might be considered as a therapeutic option in resistant IVIg patients with MPred-CIDP.

Combined Hepatocholangiocarcinoma Associated with Humoral Hypercalcemia of Malignancy and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Paraneoplastic syndromes are often a diagnostic challenge to doctors and may have a heterogeneous presentation, including humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM), most commonly caused by squamous cell cancer and renal, ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancer. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) has been described in patients affected by several types of cancer, especially hematologic malignancies, and a possible paraneoplastic pathogenesis of this neurological disease has been suggested. This report describes a 56-year-old man with a history of CIDP diagnosed 3 months earlier and persistently elevated aminotransferases for 18 months who was admitted to our internal medicine unit with abdominal pain, fatigue, and severe hypercalcemia with low serum intact parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) was markedly high. Liver imaging showed a large hepatic mass in the right lobe, and percutaneous ultrasound-guided biopsy revealed histopathological findings consistent with a combined hepatocholangiocarcinoma (CHCC). We supposed that both HHM and CIDP could represent a paraneoplastic manifestation of CHCC.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and malignancy: A systematic review

A systematic review of the literature was performed on the association of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) with malignancy. Hematological disorders are the most common association, particulalry non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CIDP frequently precedes the malignancy diagnosis, and there is a favorable CIDP response to treatment more than 70% of the time. Melanoma is the second most common association and may be accompanied by antiganglioside antibodies; CIDP shows a good response to immunotherapy. Other cancers are rare, with variable timings and presentations but good responses to immunomodulation and/or cancer therapy. Unusual neurological features such as ataxia, distal/upper limb predominance, or cranial/respiratory/autonomic involvement may suggest associated malignancy as may abdominal pain, diarrhea/constipation, poor appetite/weight loss, dermatological lesions, and lymphadenopathy. In the appropriate clinical and electrophysiological setting, CIDP associated with cancer should be considered. Immunomodulatory therapy, cancer treatment alone, or a combination may be effective. Muscle Nerve 57: 875-883, 2018.

Malignancy in Guillain-Barré syndrome: A twelve-year single-center study

The relationship between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and malignancy is uncertain. We retrospectively analyzed data of 118 consecutive patients admitted with GBS from Birmingham, U.K. (2001-2012). We calculated relative cancer risk using different definitions and determined characteristics of malignancy-associated GBS. Malignancy was globally commoner in our GBS cohort compared to the general population (odds ratio: 2.08; CI: 1.06-3.71; p=0.036). However, this was unconfirmed if paraneoplastic criteria were applied. GBS patients with cancer were significantly more likely to be older (p=0.043), hyponatremic (p=0.037) and demonstrate more axonal loss (p<0.05). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein levels were lower in the malignancy group (p=0.002) and neurological improvement less likely (p=0.023). In-patient mortality was significantly higher in patients with malignancy (p<0.01). We conclude global cancer risk is higher in GBS than in the general population, although definition-dependent. Malignancy requires consideration in elderly, hyponatremic subjects with normal CSF protein, severe axonal loss, who fail to improve post-treatment.

Occam's Razor or Hickam's dictum: a paraneoplastic or coincidental occurrence of lung cancer and Guillain-Barré syndrome

A 67-year-old man was admitted due to weakness, coughing, shortness of breath and fever. He had decreased breath sounds in the left lung and muscle weakness in the lower and upper extremities. Chest imaging showed a mass in the left lung, and a biopsy revealed small cell lung cancer. The nerve conduction velocity was decreased, and anti-GM1 IgG antibodies were positive. The patient showed a temporary neurologic recovery following the administration of cancer chemotherapy, although he eventually died of progression of lung cancer. As a result of the almost simultaneous symptomatic development of lung cancer and Guillain-Barré syndrome, this case may be considered to involve a paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome.