A case of small cell lung cancer presenting with repeated syncope as the initial symptom
Eisuke Katoa,b Kenji Atarashia Akira Fujishimaa Yuki Osakabea Daisuke Inouea Yusuke Shikamaa
aDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Fujigaoka Hospital, Showa University School of Medicine
bDepartment of Palliative Care, Komaki City Hospital
A 67-year-old man was admitted to our clinic because of cough and syncope, and chest X-ray revealed an abnormal shadow. Contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography scan revealed a nodular shadow in the right upper lobe and mediastinal and hilar lymph node enlargement. After a mediastinal lymph node biopsy was performed, he was diagnosed as having small cell lung cancer. Orthostatic hypotension was confirmed in a head-up tilt test, but none of the various tests determined the cause. We suspected that it was associated with lung cancer, which happened to be found at the same time with syncope. Onconeural antibodies were confirmed in the serum, and the cause of orthostatic hypotension was diagnosed as an autonomic symptom due to paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. Autonomic neuropathy due to paraneoplastic neurological syndrome typically presents with multiple symptoms, but can also present with orthostatic hypotension alone.
Syncope Orthostatic hypotension (OH) Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS) Autonomic neuropathy Small cell lung cancer
Received 20 Oct 2020 / Accepted 21 Jan 2021
AJRS, 10(3): 268-272, 2021