Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2016 , Vol 19, Issue 4
BREAST CANCER IN A WOMAN WITH GUILLAIN–BARRÉ SYNDROME: A REMINDER TO CONSIDER PARANEOPLASTIC NEUROLOGICAL SYNDROME
Filiz TUNA1, Ebru TAŞTEKİN2, Hande ÖZDEMİR3, Ela DÜZCE3, Hakan TUNA3
1Trakya University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, EDÄ°RNE
2Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, EDÄ°RNE
3Trakya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, EDÄ°RNE
A72-year-old woman was referred to us for Guillain–Barré syndrome rehabilitation, during which her functional status improved (Hughes score 3–2, Functional Ambulation Classification Scale 2–4, Functional Independence Measure score 99–120). Despite her improvement, discharge was postponed because of a bloody discharge from her left nipple, which started 1 day before the last visit. The final diagnosis, after an excisional biopsy, was invasive ductal carcinoma with apocrine features. Guillain–Barré syndrome is an acute, rapidly progressing inflammatory polyneuropathy, with patients typically showing symmetrical, ascending weakness with a severe loss of reflexes. The current literature describes Guillain–Barré syndrome as a probable paraneoplastic neurological syndrome and cancer precursor. Guillain–Barré syndrome with this etiology, i.e., paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, may result from remote effects with immunological mechanisms that are not directly caused by the tumor or metastases infiltration. Guillain–Barré syndrome may develop as a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, may be secondary to treatment, or may occur coincidentally with cancer. Because paraneoplastic neurological syndrome occurs at an early stage of cancer before metastasis, it is important to consider paraneoplastic neurological syndrome when evaluating Guillain–Barré syndrome patients. Keywords : Breast Neoplasms; Guillain-Barré Syndrome; Paraneoplastic Syndromes