[Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration associated with ovarian cancer: anti-Yo immunoreactivity in autoptic cerebellum and ovarian carcinoma].

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a rare disorder caused likely by autoimmune mechanisms in malignant oncologic diseases, and the most common tumors are ovarian, breast, lung cancer, and m. Hodgkin. An immune reaction is supposed to be directed against identical antigens of cerebellum and tumor, and paraneoplastic antibodies called anti-Yo, anti-Hu, anti-Ri, or anti-Tr are often detected in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The course of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration as a complication of ovarian cancer is described. The relationship between the malignancy and pathologic changes in cerebellum was confirmed by positive immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence reaction between a patient's anti-Yo-positive serum and her own Purkinje's and ovarian cancer cells.