[Subacute sensory neuronopathy with signs of involvement of anterior horn cells in a patient with small cell lung carcinoma (case report)].

A 55 years old woman with small-cell lung carcinoma is described. Ten months after the diagnosis was established, subacute sensory neuronopathy with the signs of involvement of anterior horn cells (confirmed by EMG exam) occurred. Since neurological symptoms appeared at the time when anti-cancer treatment was ceased, the diagnosis of paraneoplastic lesion peripheral nervous system was established. Biopsy of sural nerve obtained 3 months after the onset of neurological signs showed nearly complete loss of normal looking myelinated fibers due to the process of axonal degeneration with relatively better preserved unmyelinated fibers. The patient died after 1 year and 2 months from the beginning of the disease because of metastatic tumours in the brain.