Successful treatment of Lambert‑Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a small cell lung cancer patient using 3,4‑diaminopyridine: A case report

Hyun,Jae‑Won; Kim,Su‑Hyun; Jeong,In Hye; Kim,Heung Tae; Kim,Ho Jin

doi:10.3892/ol.2016.4123

Successful treatment of Lambert‑Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a small cell lung cancer patient using 3,4‑diaminopyridine: A case report

Authors:
- Jae‑Won Hyun
- Su‑Hyun Kim
- In Hye Jeong
- Heung Tae Kim
- Ho Jin Kim
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Affiliations: Department of Neurology, Research Institute and Hospital of National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi 410‑769, Republic of Korea, Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital of National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi 410‑769, Republic of Korea
Published online on: January 18, 2016 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2016.4123
Pages: 1933-1935

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Abstract

Lambert‑Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction that is characterized by muscle weakness. LEMS is usually associated with cancer, most commonly small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The potassium‑channel blocker 3,4‑diaminopyridine (3,4‑DAP), has been previously used for the symptomatic treatment of LEMS. 3,4‑DAP increases the release of acetylcholine and prolongs the duration of nerve action potentials at the presynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. The present study describes the case of a patient with LEMS and SCLC, for which the symptoms did not improve with anticancer therapy, but did so markedly following treatment with 3,4‑DAP. The present study illustrates that 3,4‑DAP is a useful treatment choice in patients with LEMS, particularly for patients who do not fully improve following anticancer therapy.

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