Positivity of serum “classical” onconeural antibodies in a series of 2063 consecutive patients with suspicion of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome

• Detectability of classical onconeural Ab is low among patients suspected with PNS.
• Onconeural Ab specification helps to define a neurological syndrome as paraneoplastic.
• The success in tumour screening in PNS patients depends on the type of onconeural Ab.

This study determined the prevalence of classical onconeural Ab in a series of 2063 consecutive patients that were investigated because of suspicion of PNS as well as evaluated individual onconeural Ab in relationship to the clinical spectrum of associated neurological syndromes and tumor types detected in 70 patients finally diagnosed with PNS. We conclude that detectability of onconeural Ab is low among patients suspected with PNS. Specification of Ab is helpful in defining a neurological syndrome as paraneoplastic as well as in searching of underlying tumor. The success in tumor screening depends on the type of onconeural Ab.