Varied Clinical Features and Outcomes of Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Retrospective Case Series
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: This study discusses the various clinical profiles, investigatory findings, treatment responses, and prognosticating factors in seven cases of autoimmune encephalitis (AE). METHODS: The clinical records of seven AE patients admitted to the Neurology Department, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai, from July 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The patients' ages ranged from 18 to 35, and all experienced seizures. Only two patients exhibited cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. All seven cases were clinically diagnosed as AE: three were positive for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) antibodies, while the AE panel was negative in the remaining patients. In all cases, contrast imaging of the brain on MRI appeared normal. CONCLUSION: Patients with AE need to be diagnosed early because prompt immunosuppressive therapy effectively reduces morbidity and mortality. A detailed history, clinical examinations, and relevant investigations are required. Mild and atypical forms with negative autoimmune antibody panels with relatively good outcomes are increasingly encountered.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.76389
Authors: Aruna Kumari Kotteti, Elanthiraiyan Govindaswamy Chelvakumar, Robert Wilson Sundaram, Kalpana Radhakrishnan, Arunan Subbiah
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4405783790