Tuberc Respir Dis.  2007 Oct;63(4):382-386.

A Case of Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis Associated with Primary Adenocarcinoma of Lung

• Shin HJ
• Kim HS
• Lim KN
• Noh US
• Choi JH
• Kim IS
• Lee YY
• Park BB
• Park DW

Abstract

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is a rare disorder that is characterized by personality changes, irritability, depression, seizures, memory loss and dementia, and is commonly associated with small cell lung cancer. The cause is unknown but it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder that develops secondary to a carcinomatous process. We report a patient with the clinical feature consistent with limbic encephalitis. A 64-year-old women developed disorientation, memory loss and general weakness. She was diagnosed with NSCLC (adenocarcinoma) with a brain metastasis 1 year earlier and was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. Although the lung mass and brain metastatic lesions had improved, the brain T2-weighted MRI showed high signal intensity in the right temporal region. This lesion consisted of with limbic encephalitis and was negative to the other viral and immune markers. The patient's symptoms did not improve after steroid treatment. Our case demonstrated that a NSCLC (adenocarcinoma) also can be associated with paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis.

Keyword

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis; Non-small cell lung cancer

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma*
Biomarkers
Brain
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Dementia
Depression
Drug Therapy
Female
Humans
Limbic Encephalitis*
Lung*
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Memory Disorders
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Metastasis
Seizures
Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

Figure

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  Figure 1 Chest CT shows non-small cell lung cancer at Right lower lobe (A). Brain MRI shows brain metastasis (B).

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  Figure 2 Chest CT shows decreased size of non-small cell lung cancer at Right lower lobe (A). Brain MRI shows decreased sizes of brain metastasis (B).

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  Figure 3 Brain MRI finding. T1 weighted image shows low signal density in right temporal lobe (A). T2 weighted image shows high signal intensity in right temporal lobe (B).

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