Definition:
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a disease that is primarily characterized by the rapid development of what is known as severe pancerebellar dysfunction. PCD is typically associated with some gynecologic tumors, lung and breast cancer, particularly those with small cell lung carcinoma as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Diagnosis:
There are no cures available for paraneoplastic syndromes as well as the resulting progressive neurological damage. Most of, diagnosis is based on the presence of cancer.
Treatment:
The most important factor when dealing with this type of disease is early and rapid diagnosis. PCD is often found to be most common among patients suffering from breast, lung, ovarian, or lymphatic cancers. In addition to the treatment program for cancer, PCD patients would usually undergo "plasmapheresis” or blood dialysis.
Symptoms and Signs:
With PCD, the immune system produces hostile antibodies which are then transported to the circulatory system. This affects brain functions causing uncontrolled motor and gait coordination, slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing, loss of muscle tone as well as uncontrollable movement of the patient's eyes. In advanced cases, the patients are known to experience blindness, dementia as well as memory loss.
Causes:
A paraneoplastic syndrome typically occurs when the cancer victim produces the antibodies that would end up attacking the cancer cells and the healthy cells.
:
paraneoplasticcerebellardegeneration
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