Preferential loss of large lumbar primary sensory neurons in carcinomatous sensory neuropathy

Morphometric studies at autopsy of a patient with sensory neuropathy associated with small-cell lung carcinoma showed preferential loss of large-diameter sensory nerve cell bodies (fifth lumbar dorsal root ganglion), marked decrease of large myelinated fibers in the dorsal root and sural nerve, and almost total loss of myelinated fibers in the fasciculus gracilis.