Paraneoplastic autoimmune encephalitis (PAE) represents a group of rare neurological syndromes associated with neoplastic diseases. Here, we report a case that multiple anti-neuronal antibodies were present in a patient with PAE who developed both small cell lung cancer and colorectal adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the immunopathological investigation of the colorectal adenocarcinoma revealed the formation of abnormal neuronal antigens and a massive infiltration of plasma cells in the tumor tissue. These findings support the hypothesis that expression of neuronal antigens in neoplasm initiates autoimmune responses in PAE.
© 2021 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.