scholarly journals Antibody-associated CNS syndromes without signs of inflammation in the elderly

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (14) ◽  
pp. 1471-1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domingo Escudero ◽  
Mar Guasp ◽  
Helena Ariño ◽  
Carles Gaig ◽  
Eugenia Martínez-Hernández ◽  
...  

Objective:To report the CNS syndromes of patients ≥60 years of age with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens but no evidence of brain MRI and CSF inflammatory changes.Methods:This was a retrospective clinical analysis of patients with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens who fulfilled 3 criteria: age ≥60 years, no inflammatory abnormalities in brain MRI, and no CSF pleocytosis. Antibodies were determined with reported techniques.Results:Among 155 patients ≥60 years of age with neurologic syndromes related to antibodies against neuronal surface antigens, 35 (22.6%) fulfilled the indicated criteria. The median age of these 35 patients was 68 years (range 60–88 years). Clinical manifestations included faciobrachial dystonic seizures (FBDS) in 11 of 35 (31.4%) patients, all with LGI1 antibodies; a combination of gait instability, brainstem dysfunction, and sleep disorder associated with IgLON5 antibodies in 10 (28.6%); acute confusion, memory loss, and behavioral changes suggesting autoimmune encephalitis (AE) in 9 (25.7%; 2 patients with AMPAR, 2 with NMDAR, 2 with GABAbR, 2 with LGI1, and 1 with CASPR2 antibodies); and rapidly progressive cognitive deterioration in 5 (14.3%; 3 patients with IgLON5 antibodies, 1 with chorea; 1 with DPPX antibody–associated cerebellar ataxia and arm rigidity; and 1 with CASPR2 antibodies).Conclusions:In patients ≥60 years of age, the correct identification of characteristic CNS syndromes (FBDS, anti-IgLON5 syndrome, AE) should prompt antibody testing even without evidence of inflammation in MRI and CSF studies. Up to 15% of the patients developed rapidly progressive cognitive deterioration, which further complicated the differential diagnosis with a neurodegenerative disorder.

2021 ◽  
pp. 541-548
Author(s):  
José Alberto Choreño-Parra ◽  
Tania de la Rosa-Arredondo ◽  
André Garibay-Gracián ◽  
Ingrid Montes de Oca-Vargas ◽  
Deyanira Capi-Casillas ◽  
...  

The spectrum of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) encompasses several entities characterized by a variable frequency of psychiatric symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, focal deficits, and seizures. Although patients with AE can be categorized in specific syndromes, overlapping manifestations are also common. Furthermore, atypical correlations between clinical phenotypes and autoantibody profiles could occur in rare cases. Here, we report the rare case of a young adult man attending due to new-onset seizures and a history of memory loss, autonomic disturbances, headache, behavioral changes, and visual and olfactory hallucinations. The patient was subjected to a complete diagnostic approach that included a comprehensive laboratory workup, neuropsychological testing, electroencephalogram, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, brain MRI, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan that revealed a functional and structural compromise of the bilateral medial temporal lobes. Together with the clinical manifestations of the patient, these findings were compatible with the diagnosis of autoimmune limbic encephalitis (ALE). Strikingly, further analysis of the CSF showed autoantibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. We found very few cases of the co-occurrence of anti-NMDA receptor antibodies and nonparaneoplastic ALE in the literature, especially in male patients. Our report exemplifies the complicated differential diagnosis of ALE and adds clinical information of the association with anti-NMDA receptor antibodies.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Jiang ◽  
Jianpeng Ma ◽  
Tao Gong ◽  
Hongjun Hao ◽  
Haibo Chen

Abstract Background Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a severe and most common autoimmune encephalitis in patients under 40 years old. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis has various clinical and neuroimaging findings. Here we report a special case of an anti-NMDAR encephalitis who had diffuse lesions in bilateral hemispheres with mild mass effects in left basal ganglia area. Case presentations A 28-year-old female anti-NMDAR encephalitis patient mainly presented with headache and fever. Brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed slightly contrasted diffuse lesions, involving the left temporal and frontal lobes, left basal ganglia area and splenium of corpus callosum, as well as the right frontal lobe, with mild edema surrounded in the left basal ganglia area. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed a moderate pleocytosis with normal protein and glucose levels. Anti-NMDAR antibodies were identified in CSF. Transvaginal ovarian ultrasound did not reveal an ovarian teratoma. The patient was treated with immunoglobulin and steroid, and had a good recovery. Conclusions Anti-NMDAR encephalitis has no special clinical manifestations and brain MRI is highly variable, which could be unremarkable or abnormal involving white and grey matters. The extensive lesions in frontal and temporal lobes, and basal ganglia area, with mild mass effects, have not been described previously. Recognition of various changes in brain MRI will enable the early detection of anti-NMDAR antibody and then effective treatments.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Jiang ◽  
Jianpeng Ma ◽  
Tao Gong ◽  
Hongjun Hao ◽  
Haibo Chen

Abstract Background Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a severe and most common autoimmune encephalitis in patients under 40 years old. The anti-NMDAR encephalitis has various clinical and neuroimaging findings. Here we report a special anti-NMDAR encephalitis patient who had diffuse lesions in bilateral hemispheres with mild mass effects in left basal ganglia area. Case presentations A 28-year-old female anti-NMDAR encephalitis patient mainly presented with headache and fever. Brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed slightly contrasted diffuse lesions, involving the left temporal and frontal lobes, left basal ganglia area and splenium of corpus callosum, and the right frontal lobe, with mild edema surrounded in the left basal ganglia area. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed a moderate pleocytosis with normal protein and glucose levels. Anti-NMDAR antibodies were identified in CSF. Transvaginal ovarian ultrasound did not reveal an ovarian teratoma. The patient was treated with immunoglobulin and steroid, and had a good recovery. Conclusions The anti-NMDAR encephalitis has no special clinical manifestations and brain MRI is highly variable, which could be unremarkable or abnormal involving white and grey matters. The extensive lesions in frontal and temporal lobes, and basal ganglia area, with mild mass effects, have not been described previously. The recognition of various changes in brain MRI will enable the early detection of anti-NMDAR antibody and then effective treatments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Hao Wang ◽  
Zheng Xiao

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is the most common antineuronal antibody encephalitis in autoimmune encephalitis found at present. It has complex clinical manifestations such as psychiatric and behavioral abnormalities, seizures, movement disorders, consciousness, and autonomic dysfunction. The relationship between those manifestations and prognosis is unclear. Electroencephalography (EEG) is gradually becoming useful in the evaluation of the prognosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients, while imaging and antibody testing have a limited prognostic value. Starting the patients on adequate treatments (such as immunotherapy) in a timely fashion has a positive impact on their prognosis. Nevertheless, research on the prognosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis remains scarce. Here, we review the current advances of prognosis-related research from the clinical manifestations of the disease and auxiliary examinations such as EEG, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), and antibody measurement. In addition, we also discuss the impact of different treatment options on prognosis. In-depth research on the prognosis of patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis will contribute to a better understanding of this disease, leading to better treatments options and, ultimately, a better prognosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. e240020
Author(s):  
Rasha Nakhleh ◽  
Sophia Tenaye Tessema ◽  
Abdullahi Mahgoub

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder belonging to the family of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The disease is believed to be caused by an abnormal isoform of a cellular glycoprotein known as the prion protein. Our patient is an 84-year-old Caucasian man who presented to the geriatric clinic for evaluation of short-term memory loss and decreased concentration which started 3 months prior to initial evaluation. Rapid progression of dementia demonstrated by severe impairment in tasks with a predominantly visual component, including visual scanning, perceptual reasoning and visual spatial processing. Diagnosis of CJD was determined by characteristic ribboning on brain MRI as well as notable real-time quaking-induced conversion on cerebrospinal fluid.


Author(s):  
M Gagnon ◽  
M Savard

Background: Recently, many cases of autoimmune encephalitis with positive GAD65 (Glutamic acid decarboxylase) antibodies have been described in the literature. However, it remains an understudied topic. Methods: We conducted a search on reported cases of anti-GAD65 encephalitis. Specific variables were identified as general characteristics, clinical manifestations, MRI and EEG findings, concomitant systemic autoimmune disorders and cancer, and outcome and autoantibodies findings. Results: We identified a total of 58 cases, from one to 70 years old. It most frequently presented with seizures (97%) and memory impairment (59%). It commonly occurred in association with systemic autoimmune disease, particularly diabetes (28%). Brain MRI was usually abnormal (78%); involvement of temporal lobes was more frequent than multifocal abnormalities (59% vs 16%). GAD65 antibodies were reported positive in CSF and/or serum (31% in serum only). Other antibodies such as GABABR, GABAAR and VGKC were concurrently reported positive in some cases (19%). However, we found that the vast majority of cases were not tested for all those cell-surface antibodies. Overall, no distinctive pattern of clinical and paraclinical findings was found. Persistent impairments were common. Optimal treatment remained undefined. Conclusions: Prospective studies recruiting patients with autoimmune encephalitis are needed to better elucidate the contributions of GAD65 autoantibodies, and to evaluate treatment and outcomes in this population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e1128
Author(s):  
Raffaele Iorio ◽  
Eleonora Sabatelli ◽  
Lucia Campetella ◽  
Claudia Papi

Background and ObjectivesTo report a case of anti-NMDAR encephalitis presenting with isolated memory dysfunction.MethodsA 29-year-old woman was admitted to the Neurology Department referring memory impairment with a subacute onset. The initial assessment included EEG, neuropsychological tests, and brain MRI. Serum and CSF samples were collected for immunologic studies. The diagnostic evaluation was completed with a total body PET scan.ResultsPatient's neurologic examination was unremarkable apart from an episodic memory deficit, confirmed by neuropsychological examination. The EEG revealed epileptiform discharges in the temporal lobes, whereas brain MRI showed bilateral temporal lobes hyperintense lesions on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images and T2-weighted images. NMDAR-IgG was detected in the patient's serum and CSF by cell-based assay confirming the diagnosis of definite anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The total body PET showed only a slight hypometabolism in the right temporal cortex and in the cerebellar hemispheres. After a course of IV immunoglobulin and corticosteroid therapy, a marked improvement of the memory deficit was observed.DiscussionThis case shows that anti-NMDAR encephalitis can present with isolated memory loss. Neural antibody testing in these patients could play a pivotal role in early diagnosis and prompt treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-439
Author(s):  
Riwaj Bhagat ◽  
Siddharth Narayanan ◽  
Marwa Elnazeir ◽  
Thong Diep Pham ◽  
Robert Paul Friedland ◽  
...  

Gasperini syndrome (GS), a rare brainstem syndrome, is featured by ipsilateral cranial nerves (CN) V–VIII dysfunction with contralateral hemibody hypoesthesia. While there have been 18 reported cases, the GS definition remains ambiguous. We report a new case and reviewed the clinical features of this syndrome from all published reports to propose a new definition. A 57-year-old man with acute brainstem stroke had right CN V–VIII and XII palsies, left body hypoesthesia and ataxia. Brain MRI showed an acute stroke in the right caudal pons and bilateral cerebellum. After a systematic review, we classified the clinical manifestations into core and associate features based on the frequencies of occurring neurological deficits. We propose that a definitive GS requires the presence of ipsilateral CN VI and VII palsies, plus one or more of the other three core features (ipsilateral CN V, VIII palsies and contralateral hemibody hemihypalgesia). Additionally, GS, similar to Wallenberg’s syndrome, represents a spectrum that can have other associated neurological features. The revised definition presented in this study may enlighten physicians with the immediate recognition of the syndrome and help improve clinical localization of the lesions and its management.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilanka Wickramasinghe ◽  
Dhanushka Dasanayake ◽  
Neelika Malavige ◽  
Rajiva de Silva ◽  
Thashi Chang

Abstract Background Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is now considered a main, potentially curable cause of encephalitis, but remains conspicuously underreported from South Asia. We studied the clinical characteristics in relation to their antibody status and outcomes of patients presenting with AE in Sri Lanka. Methods Patients admitting to government hospitals who were clinically suspected of AE by an on-site neurologist were prospectively recruited over a period of 12 months. Sera and cerebrospinal fluid were tested for NMDAR, AMPAR1, AMPAR2, LGI1, CASPR2, GABARB1/B2 antibodies (Ab) using commercial cell-based assays. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were compiled into an investigator-administered proforma. Patients were reviewed at 1 year follow up either in person or via telephone. Results One-hundred and forty-two patients from 21 of 25 districts in Sri Lanka (median age = 20.5 years; range 1–86 years; females = 61.3%) were recruited. Of them, 65 (45.8%; median age = 19 years; range 1–86 years; females = 64.6%) fulfilled diagnostic criteria for probable NMDAR-antibody encephalitis (NMDARE) and 6 (4.2%; median age = 44 years; range 28–71 years; females = 83.3%) limbic encephalitis (LE). Abnormal behaviour (95.3%), seizures (81.5%) and movement disorders (69.2%) were the most frequent clinical manifestations of probable NMDARE. NMDAR-antibodies were detectable in 29 (44.6%) and not detectable in 36 in CSF of probable-NMDARE patients. Abnormal EEG was more frequent (p = 0.003) while a worse outcome (OR = 2.78; 95% CI = 0.88–9.09) and deaths (OR = 2.38; 95% CI = 0.67–8.33) were more likely in antibody-negative than antibody-positive probable-NMDARE. Most patients with LE had amnesia (50%) and/or confusion (100%) with agitation (83.3%) and seizures (100%) but none had detectable antibodies to any of the antigens tested. Conclusions NMDARE is the commonest type of AE among South Asians as is the case worldwide. Clinical presentations of NMDARAb-positive and NMDARAb-negative AE patients do not significantly differ but EEG may be a useful marker of an autoimmune basis for psychiatric symptoms.


Author(s):  
Maria Pia Giannoccaro ◽  
Matteo Gastaldi ◽  
Giovanni Rizzo ◽  
Leslie Jacobson ◽  
Veria Vacchiano ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document