Case report: immune-mediated cerebellar ataxia secondary to anti-PD-L1 treatment for lung cancer

Abstract

Case presentation: A 66-year-old gentleman with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer developed a wide-based gait following treatment on a clinical trial with cytotoxic chemotherapy and an anti-PD-L1 drug. He had no other significant past medical history of note. Brain imaging, blood tests and lumbar puncture did not reveal a structural, biochemical, paraneoplastic or infective cause. The main differential diagnoses were immune-mediated toxicity or a paraneoplastic syndrome. He was started on prednisolone on the suspicion that his symptoms represented an immune-mediated toxicity. His condition improved following this and his immunotherapy treatment was discontinued. Upon steroid withdrawal, his symptoms recurred and responded to further prednisolone.

Conclusions: Immune-mediated toxicities can affect any part of the nervous system and should form part of the differential diagnosis for new neurological symptoms in a patient receiving immunotherapy. Corticosteroids should be the first-line treatment of immune-mediated toxicities. Immunotherapy should be permanently discontinued following severe toxicities.

Keywords:

• Immunotherapy
• immune-mediated toxicities
• cerebellar ataxia
• lung cancer

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.