Rare paraneoplastic syndromes in digestive systems caused by lung cancer

BMJ Case Rep. 2021 Feb 5;14(2):e240161. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240161.

Abstract

We observed a rare case of two different digestive paraneoplastic syndromes that improved with the treatment of the neoplasms. The first syndrome was chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), which is a subtype of paraneoplastic syndromes called a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS). The second was Stauffer's syndrome, which is a unique paraneoplastic syndrome characterised by non-metastatic intrahepatic cholestasis associated with neoplasms. Here, we report the case of a 55-year-old man who presented with two concurrent paraneoplastic syndromes in the digestive system. The intestinal pseudo-obstruction and elevated biliary enzyme levels improved as the lung cancer responded to chemotherapy. In this case, CIPO as a PNS led to the detection of lung cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Stauffer's syndrome caused by lung adenocarcinoma.

Keywords: lung cancer (oncology); neurogastroenterology; neurooncology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Cholestasis, Intrahepatic / diagnosis
  • Cholestasis, Intrahepatic / etiology*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / diagnosis
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / etiology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes / complications*
  • Paraneoplastic Syndromes / diagnosis
  • Syndrome

Substances

  • Biomarkers