RESUMO
<p>Introduction: We report a very rare case of paraneoplastic chorea due to lung cancer that was ameliorated by administering tetrabenazine, the only agent used for treating the chorea of Huntington disease. Case: A 92-year-old woman was diagnosed with lung cancer but only followed up, based on advanced age and her own wishes. Given the absence of treatments such as chemotherapy, the lung cancer was not histologically diagnosed. During follow-up, involuntary movements appeared and paraneoplastic chorea was diagnosed. Therefore, she could not live alone and was admitted to a nursing home. Triple combination therapy with valproic acid, tiapride hydrochloride and risperidone was started, and showed efficacy for her symptoms. The symptoms showed amelioration but persisted in the upper extremities, face and neck. A neurologist suggested to her family that tetrabenazine, the only medication used for Huntington’s chorea, might be effective. After admission to our hospital, her family requested tetrabenazine. As both she and her family were suffering mental distress because “she was trapped in a body that moved regardless of her will”, we initiated tetrabenazine at a dose of 12.5 mg/day. After starting tetrabenazine, chorea of the upper extremities, face and neck almost disappeared. Moreover, her speech became clear and she spoke normally with her family. Discussion: Tetrabenazine is a drug receiving insurance reimbursement only for Huntington’s chorea, but was effective in this case. In our view, this treatment palliated the patient’s physical distress and the mental distress that she and her family were experiencing due to her paraneoplastic chorea.</p>
RESUMO
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of oral pharmacologic therapy in improving postural control and functionality in patients with DCP, with less than 20 years old, compared with any therapy or placebo. Methods: Randomized clinical trials and quasi-experimental with no restriction in publication date or language were included. The search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Virtual Health Library (LILACS, SCIELO), ClinicalTrials.gov and Opengrey. The risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Interventions Systematic Reviews. Results: 3 cross over studies were included, according to the established criteria. The three drugs that were analyzed were: levodopa, and trihexyphenidyl and tetrabenazine, compared to placebo. No study had significant favorable results for the use of the drug over placebo. Conclusion: At the moment there is no evidence to support the use of oral medication in patients with DCP, based on the small number of high quality studies found, it is necessary to increase research on oral pharmacologic therapy in this group of patients.
Objetivo: Evaluar la efectividad del tratamiento farmacológico oral destinado a mejorar el control postural y la funcionalidad en pacientes con parálisis cerebral disquinética (PCD) menores de 20 años comparado con cualquier terapia o placebo. Métodos: Se incluyeron ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y cuasi experimentales sin restricción de fecha de publicación o lenguaje. La búsqueda se realizó en Pubmed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Biblioteca Virtual de la Salud (LILACS, SCIELO), ClinicalTrials.gov y Opengrey. El riesgo de sesgo fue evaluado de acuerdo al Manual Cochrane de Revisiones Sistemáticas de Intervenciones. Resultados: Se incluyeron 3 estudios cross-over de acuerdo a los criterios establecidos. Los tres fármacos analizados fueron: levodopa, tetrabenazina y trihexifenidilo, comparados con placebo. Ningún estudio tuvo resultados favorables de manera significativa para el uso del medicamento sobre placebo. Conclusión: Por el momento no existe evidencia que sustente el uso de la medicación oral en los pacientes con PCD en base al escaso número de estudios de alta calidad encontrados, siendo necesario que se aumente la investigación sobre el tratamiento farmacológico oral en este grupo de pacientes.