A Case of the Generalized Myokymia Associated with Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT

There are widely recognized unusual remote neurological manifestations of internal malignancy. However, as far as the author's knowledge, the generalized myokymia associated with myokymic discharge has not been reported as paraneoplastic syndrome earlier. The patient was a 63-year-old female with generalized myokymia and paresthesia for 4months. The nerve conduction study revealed mild sensorimotor polyneuropathy and EMG study showed the generalized myokymic discharges, which were not changed by sleeping or brachial plexus block. The carbamazepine reduced the amount of myokymia and myokymic discharges but not the benzodiazepine. The diagnosis of lung cancer was confirmed by needle aspiration biopsy, and the cell types of lung cancer were mixed undifferentiated and small cell type. By the administration of anti-cancer drugs including cisplatin, the myokymia and myokymic discharges were completely disappeared. The patient died at 8 months after the diagnosis.