Case Report

Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome as a Paraneoplastic Manifestation of Renal Cell Carcinoma
A Case Report and Review of the Lite rature
S. De Luca^a, C. Terrone^a, S. Crivellaro^a, A. De Zan^a, P. Polo^b, M.C. Vigliani^b, A. Tizzani<sup>a

a</sup>Urological Clinic, Department of Medical and Surgical Disciplines and
^bNeurological Clinic, Neuroscience Department, University of Torino, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Urol Int 2002;68:206-208 (DOI: 10.1159/000048454)

  Key Words

• Paraneoplastic syndrome
• Opsoclonus
• Renal cell carcinoma

  Abstract

Opsoclonus is a rare but distinctive disorder of ocular motility, characterized by irregular, continual and conjugated chaotic saccades of the eyes. It is increased with eye closure and fixation, and it persists during sleep. Opsoclonus appears more commonly in children and in half of such cases in association with neuroblastoma. In adults the most frequent causes are idiopathic (50%) and paraneoplastic (20%). Among the second group, different types of tumors involving a wide variety of organs have been reported. Opsoclonus when accompanied by other symptoms of central nervous system involvement (head, appendicular myoclonus and truncal ataxia) constitutes a clinical picture, known as opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. We report the case of a young patient affected by renal cell carcinoma associated with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome which did not respond to medical therapy but dramatically improved after cancer ablation.

Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

S. De Luca, MD
Divisione di Urologia, Ospedale Gradenigo
C.so R. Margherita 8
I-10153 Torino (Italy)
Tel. +39 011 815 1216, Fax +39 011 815 1454, E-Mail delucastefano@yahoo.it

  Article Information

Received: Received: March 13, 2001
Accepted: June 20, 2001
Number of Print Pages : 3
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 10