Abstract

BARQUERO-MADRIGAL, Alejandro. Anti N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2016, vol.58, n.3, pp.103-109. ISSN 0001-6002.

Anti NMDA-receptor encephalitis belongs to a group of diseases originally called limbic encephalitis, nowadays known as autoimmune encephalitis. These encephalitis are characterized by a frequent association with a tumor, a good response to immunotherapy, and by causing a broad range of brain injuries which manifest in polymorphous clinical pictures (from limbic dysfunction to multifocal or diffuse encephalopathy). Some patients diagnosed with acute psychiatry conditions may have instead autoimmune encephalitis. Nevertheless, it is not easy to discern one from the other in the initial stages. Its exact incidence is unknown, but there are increasingly more case reports. Its clinical characteristics are well described and evolve in five stages or phases. The final diagnosis is made when antibodies serologic confirmation is obtained, but some other tests may help guide the diagnosis. The treatment is based on steroids and other immunosuppressants.

Keywords : autoimmune encephalitis; anti NMDA-receptor encephalitis; paraneoplastic encephalitis; neuropsychiatric disorders.

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