Clinical Information

Autoantibodies specific for neurons, glia, and muscle are important serological markers of neurological autoimmunity. Most are highly predictive of specific neoplasms that are metastatic to regional lymph nodes when diagnosed but usually limited in spread.(1,2) The target auto-antigens identified so far include cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins and plasma membrane cation channels.(3)

Collapsin response-mediator protein-5 (CRMP-5)-IgG is currently the second most common autoantibody predictive of small-cell lung carcinoma and, sometimes, occurs with thymoma.

The neurological presentation of CRMP-5-IgG seropositive patients is usually multifocal and can affect any level of the neuraxis. The presentation frequently mimics a stroke or multiple sclerosis. Syndromic manifestations encountered with lung carcinoma include subacute chorea, blindness, other cranial neuropathies (particularly loss of taste or smell), gastrointestinal dysmotility, myelopathy, and radiculoplexopathy. Fourteen percent of patients have thromboembolic phenomena. Seropositive patients who have thymoma (6%) usually present with neurological manifestations other than, or including, myasthenia gravis (eg, encephalopathy, disorders of continuous muscle fiber activity).