Paraneoplastische sensible Polyneuropathie Denny-Brown mit nicht organischer Tetraparese

Abstract

We report on the case of a 44-year-old female patient with a history psychiatric alcohol and drug addiction, depression, motor function disorder and a polyneuropathic syndrome with progressive gait disorder. The motor functional disorder rapidly developed to a high-degree limp paresis, for which there were no objective clinical or neurophysiological causes. It was thus classified as psychogenic and inpatient psychiatric treatment was initiated. Only in a second neurological examination was the diagnosis of a „sensory polyneuropathy of paraneoplastic origin and psychogenic tetraparesis” made. Carcinoma of the breast was discovered and then treated surgically with subsequent radiotherapy. The negative findings of anti-Hu, anti-Jo and anti-Ri antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid could not exclude this diagnosis.