Diagnosis of Dual Malignancy by ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in the setting of Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration

Abstract

A rare case of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (with detectable anti-neuronal antibody anti-Yo) is described, where ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT aided in detection of two synchronous malignancies (one thyroid cancer and the other breast cancer); interestingly, the primary breast malignancy was non-FDG avid and was detected through the presence of a metastatic FDG-avid axillary lymph node. Surgery for both was undertaken in the same sitting and there was improvement of the neurological features soon after the surgical removal of the malignancies.