Internal Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-7235
Print ISSN : 0918-2918
ISSN-L : 0918-2918
Paraneoplastic anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis associated with small cell lung cancer: A dramatic recovery after chemotherapy
Koichi YanoTakuto IshidaKyoko YokosukaKentaro SakashitaMasafumi Mizuno
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JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS Advance online publication

Article ID: 5586-25

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Abstract

Tumor management is the cornerstone of treatment for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis that is refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. However, little is known about the effectiveness of chemotherapy for malignant tumors in patients with severe neurological conditions.

We herein report a 66-year-old male who fell into a coma caused by anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Corticosteroid pulse therapy failed to improve his neurological condition, but a chemotherapy regimen containing atezolizumab led to rapid improvement in his condition.

This case suggests that chemotherapy, including atezolizumab, may provide a rapid therapeutic benefit for anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with SCLC.

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© 2025 by The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons [Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International] license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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