Kwatra, Vineet

Charakidis, Michail

Karanth, Narayan

2021-03-26

BACKGROUND: Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome is an immune-mediated phenomenon where antibodies from tumor cells are produced against neuronal proteins. Amphiphysin antibody is an onconeural antibody linked to the diagnosis of breast cancer and small-cell lung cancer. It is uncommon and typically associated with stiff-person syndrome, of which 90% of patients are eventually diagnosed with breast cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 47-year-old Caucasian woman with metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who developed bilateral facial nerve palsy while on treatment with nab-paclitaxel. The patient was found to have anti-amphiphysin antibody in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. She was treated with methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin, which resulted in partial improvement in her facial nerve palsy. CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights a rare presentation of bilateral facial nerve palsy that likely related to paraneoplastic syndrome associated with the presence of anti-amphiphysin antibody.

Medical Oncology Department, Alan Walker Cancer Centre, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia. v.kwatra@aoah.com.au.

Medical Oncology Department, Alan Walker Cancer Centre, Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia.

J Med Case Rep. 2021 Mar 26;15(1):158. doi: 10.1186/s13256-021-02727-3.

0000-0002-0912-4056

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33766120/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/11732

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Bilateral facial nerve palsy associated with amphiphysin antibody in metastatic breast cancer: a case report.

Journal Article

Publication