Neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes.

Paraneoplastic disorders can affect any part of the central or peripheral nervous system. Although relatively uncommon, these disorders are a significant cause of severe neurologic disability among cancer patients. Many paraneoplastic disorders are believed to be caused by an autoimmune response directed against shared neural tumor antigens. This article summarizes the clinical features, possible autoimmune pathophysiology, and management issues for patients with paraneoplastic disorders.