Rituximab as potential therapy for paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in pediatric Hodgkin disease

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare neurological syndrome associated with lung cancer, breast adenocarcinoma, ovarian adenocarcinoma, and Hodgkin disease. It is rarely seen in pediatrics. We report a case of a 10-year-old boy with a 2-year prodrome that led to a diagnosis of PCD in association with stage IV Hodgkin disease. He received radiation and chemotherapy for his Hodgkin disease with resolution of his lymphoma. Based on promising data in adults on the efficacy of rituximab over other immunosuppressive agents in paraneoplastic disorders, he was treated with rituximab with marked improvement of the cerebellar syndrome. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 986987. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.