CARCINOMATOUS NEUROPATHY

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Abstract
Carcinomatous neuropathy is a loose linkage of various clinical syndromes in which lesions occur at almost any level of the nervous system in association with neoplasms of the viscera, but unrelated to metastasis, The most common site of the underlying carcinoma is in the lung. Henson found an incidence of neuropathy in 11% of patients with bronchial carcinoma. Brain and Henson have broadly classified the syndromes, according to clinical manifestations, into those associated with cortical cerebellar degeneration, peripheral neuropathy, or neuromuscular disorders; there are also mixed forms. The frequency of neuropathy in patients with cancer is difficult to assess. The etiology of the neurological syndrome is unkown. There is no constant relationship between the course of the neurological disorder and that of the carcinoma. There is no relationship between the size of the cancer and the severity of the neuropathy. Treatment has been unrewarding. Familiarity with the syndrome may draw attention to the presence of a hitherto undetected neoplasm at a stage when it may still be amenable to treatment. A clue may be obtained when considering the differential diagnosis of a shadow in the lung, and early surgery rather than watchful waiting may be to the patient''s advantage.
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