Ganglionitis in paraneoplastic subacute sensory neuronopathy: a morphologic study

J Wanschitz, JA Hainfellner, W Kristoferitsch, M Drlicek… - Neurology, 1997 - AAN Enterprises
J Wanschitz, JA Hainfellner, W Kristoferitsch, M Drlicek, H Budka
Neurology, 1997AAN Enterprises
A 69-year-old woman presented with subacute sensory neuropathy and autonomic
dysfunction of 9 months' duration, associated with high serum titers of anti-Hu antibodies. A
small cell carcinoma of the lung was diagnosed by biopsy. She died after cardiorespiratory
arrest. At autopsy, spinal and autonomic ganglia showed subacute inflammation with diffuse
endoneurial T-cell, B-cell, and plasma cell infiltration. The cytoplasm and nuclei of some
ganglion neurons displayed IgG immunocytochemical positivity. CD8+ T cells were tightly …
A 69-year-old woman presented with subacute sensory neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction of 9 months' duration, associated with high serum titers of anti-Hu antibodies. A small cell carcinoma of the lung was diagnosed by biopsy. She died after cardiorespiratory arrest. At autopsy, spinal and autonomic ganglia showed subacute inflammation with diffuse endoneurial T-cell, B-cell, and plasma cell infiltration. The cytoplasm and nuclei of some ganglion neurons displayed IgG immunocytochemical positivity. CD8+ T cells were tightly attached to, and indented the cell surface of, IgG-positive and IgG-negative neurons. This observation suggests that both cytotoxic T-cell-mediated attack against neurons and humoral mechanisms play a role in paraneoplastic subacute sensory neuronopathy.
American Academy of Neurology