Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome associated with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: a case report

BACKGROUND: Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare, immune-mediated neurological disorder. In adults, the pathogenesis can be idiopathic, post-infectious or paraneoplastic, the latter etiology belonging to the ever-expanding group of defined paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS). In contrast to other phenotypes of PNS, OMS cannot be ascribed to a single pathogenic autoantibody. Here, we report the first detailed case of paraneoplastic, antibody-negative OMS occurring in association with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET). CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old female presented with a two-week history of severe ataxia of stance and gait, dysarthria, head tremor, myoclonus of the extremities and opsoclonus. Her past medical history was notable for a metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and she was subsequently diagnosed with paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. Further workup did not reveal a paraneoplastic autoantibody. She responded well to plasmapheresis, as she was refractory to the first-line therapy with corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS: This case expands current knowledge on tumors associated with paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome and the age group in which it can occur. It further adds evidence to the effectiveness of plasmapheresis in severe cases of opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome with a lack of response to first-line therapy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-03012-6.