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January 1, 1998

Stiff-man syndrome in a woman with breast cancer
An uncommon central nervous system paraneoplastic syndrome

January 1998 issue
50 (1) 94-98

Abstract

We report a patient who developed stiff-man syndrome, including disabling shoulder subluxation and wrist ankylosis, in association with breast cancer. Immunologic investigations disclosed autoimmunity directed against not only glutamic acid decarboxylase but also amphiphysin, a 128-kd protein located in the presynaptic compartment of neurons. The patient improved after surgery and corticosteroid treatment and has been stable for nearly 4 years on only anti-estrogenics. The triad of stiff-man syndrome, breast cancer, and autoantibodies against amphiphysin identifies a new autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome of the CNS.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Neurology®
Volume 50Number 1January 1998
Pages: 94-98
PubMed: 9443464

Publication History

Published online: January 1, 1998
Published in print: January 1998

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Authors

Affiliations & Disclosures

L. Rosin, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
P. DeCamilli, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
M. Butler, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
M. Solimena, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
H.-P. Schmitt, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
N. Morgenthaler, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
H.-M. Meinck, MD
From the Department of Neurology (Drs. Rosin and Meinck), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Cell Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Drs. DeCamilli and Butler) and Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology (Dr. Solimena), Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuropathology (Dr. Schmitt), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Medicine III (Dr. Morgenthaler), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Notes

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Prof. Dr. Hans-Michael Meinck, Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Im Neuenheimerfeld 400, D 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

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