Early multidisciplinary intensive-care therapy can improve outcome of severe anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis presenting with extreme delta brush

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (Anti-NMDARE) is a synaptic autoimmune encephalitis syndrome mainly affecting young females. An underlying tumor, most commonly ovarian teratomas in young females, may indicate a paraneoplastic syndrome. Prognostic factors of the clinical course of dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Schneider R., Brüne M., Breuer TG., Börnke C., Gold R., Juckel G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2019-10-01
Series:Translational Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/tnsci-2019-0039
Description
Summary:Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (Anti-NMDARE) is a synaptic autoimmune encephalitis syndrome mainly affecting young females. An underlying tumor, most commonly ovarian teratomas in young females, may indicate a paraneoplastic syndrome. Prognostic factors of the clinical course of disease and outcome play a central role in view of early administration of second-line immunotherapy and intensive-care therapy. We report a case of severe Anti-NMDARE associated with unfavorable predictors including an extreme delta brush (EDB) electroencephalographic-pattern and high anti-NMDAR-antibody titers in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), which necessitated the admission to an intensive care unit. In spite of the poor prognosis, the patient completely recovered; we attribute this to an early escalation to second-line immunotherapy with rituximab and multidisciplinary intensive-care therapy. The present case underlines the relevance of multidisciplinary management for individuals with Anti-NMDARE.
ISSN:2081-6936