Letargo Jessa, Qu X Melody, Nguyen Timothy K, Louie Alexander V, Kuruvilla Sara, Kotrri Enxhi
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
Division of Radiation Oncology, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada.
Curr Oncol. 2025 Jun 19;32(6):366. doi: 10.3390/curroncol32060366.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive form of lung cancer characterized by rapid growth and early metastases. As a neuroendocrine tumour, SCLC is especially notorious for various paraneoplastic syndromes, one of which is a rare neurological syndrome called paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) that manifests with amnestic cognitive impairment and seizures. Here, we describe a case of a 53-year-old female who presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, and cognitive impairment that started months prior to being diagnosed with extensive-stage SCLC. With no previous neuropsychiatric history, this raised the question of whether her presentation was related to PLE rather than a primary psychiatric condition, as initially diagnosed. Her symptoms improved with chemotherapy and radiation treatment of the underlying cancer, favouring a paraneoplastic etiology. Overall, this case underscores the importance of considering paraneoplastic syndromes in patients presenting with new neuropsychiatric symptoms, as early recognition and treatment can improve prognosis.
小细胞肺癌（SCLC）是一种侵袭性肺癌，其特点是生长迅速且早期转移。作为一种神经内分泌肿瘤，SCLC因各种副肿瘤综合征而特别声名狼藉，其中一种罕见的神经综合征称为副肿瘤性边缘叶脑炎（PLE），表现为遗忘性认知障碍和癫痫发作。在此，我们描述一例53岁女性病例，该患者在被诊断为广泛期SCLC数月前开始出现妄想、幻觉和认知障碍等神经精神症状。由于她既往无神经精神病史，这就引发了一个问题，即她的症状是否与PLE有关，而非如最初诊断的那样是原发性精神疾病。随着对潜在癌症进行化疗和放疗，她的症状有所改善，这支持了副肿瘤病因。总体而言，该病例强调了在出现新的神经精神症状的患者中考虑副肿瘤综合征的重要性，因为早期识别和治疗可改善预后。
