Paraneoplastic cerebellar syndrome as the first manifestation of ovarian cancer

We describe the case of a woman with an ovarian tumor in whom the first manifestation was subacute cerebellar degeneration, a paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by bilateral, symmetric cerebellar dysfunction, which usually manifests as ataxia of the trunk and extremities with subsequent dysarthria. The development of acute or subacute cerebellar manifestations in a female patient without cerebral tumor or known metastasis should lead to investigation of an unknown tumor. Elevated tumoral markers, as well as detection of antineuronal antibodies in a patient with cerebellar dysfunction is, by itself, sufficient to warrant surgery, even when diagnostic imaging tests are negative.