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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000;69:266-268 doi:10.1136/jnnp.69.2.266
  • Short report

Limbic encephalitis and antibodies to Ma2: a paraneoplastic presentation of breast cancer

  1. Ian Suttona,
  2. John Winera,
  3. David Rowlandsb,
  4. Josep Dalmauc
  1. aDepartment of Neurology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK, bDepartment of Pathology, University of Birmingham, UK, cDepartment of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
  1. Dr Ian Suttoniansutton{at}hotmail.com
  • Received 22 November 1999
  • Revised 14 March 2000
  • Accepted 23 March 2000

Abstract

A patient with atypical medullary breast cancer is described who presented with symptoms of limbic encephalitis. The patient's serum and CSF contained antibodies that reacted with the nervous system and the tumour. These antibodies recognised Ma2, a neuronal protein related to paraneoplastic limbic and brainstem encephalitis in men with testicular tumours. This report highlights the importance of testing for paraneoplastic antineuronal antibodies in cases of unexplained limbic encephalitis and suggests screening for breast cancer in women with antibodies predominantly directed to Ma2.

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