RESPONSE TO RITUXIMAB AND PREDNISOLONE FOR OPSOCLONUS-MYOCLONUS-ATAXIA SYNDROME IN A CHILD WITH GANGLIONEUROBLASTOMA

Abstract

Opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia (OMA) syndrome is a rare neurobehavioral paraneoplastic disorder in children with neuroblastic tumors. The neurologic symptoms are generally treated with a number of immunosupressive and immunomodulating agents. A 4-year-old previously healthy male patient was admitted to the authors’ center with progressive ataxia, gait disturbance, diffuculty of speech, and opsoclonus. He had a diagnosis of ganglionueroblastoma at the thoracal paraspinal region. Following surgey, the patient received IVIG and prednisolone but his cerebellar symptoms progressed. Rituximab therapy was started and continued for total 8 weeks without any side effect. The authors observed excellent neurologic response in the patient at the 4th week of treatment. Rituximab is a new, promising, and safe therapy for OMA syndrome in children with neuroblastoma.

Keywords:

• children
• ganglioneuroblastoma
• opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome
• rituximab