Paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome as the initial manifestation of breast cancer; a case report

Abstract

Paraneoplastic neurological disorder (PND) is a rare complication of cancers. We report a 25-year-old woman presenting with generalized tonic–clonic seizure one week after vaginal delivery. No underlying etiology for the seizure was detected on initial evaluation. On re-evaluation three months later, an invasive breast carcinoma with the diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) was revealed. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of PND that presented with generalized tonic–clonic seizure, decreased visual acuity, and acute loss of consciousness. This study briefly outlines PND and its association with breast tumors. In addition, it highlights the importance of high clinical suspicion to detect PND.