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Autoimmune encephalitis as differential diagnosis of infectious encephalitis.

ABSTRACT: This review describes the main types of autoimmune encephalitis with special emphasis on those associated with antibodies against neuronal cell surface or synaptic proteins, and the differential diagnosis with infectious encephalitis.There is a continuous expansion of the number of cell surface or synaptic proteins that are targets of autoimmunity. The most recently identified include the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein-6 (DPPX), and ?-aminobutyric acid-A receptor (GABAAR). In these and previously known types of autoimmune encephalitis [N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), ?-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), ?-aminobutyric acid-B receptor (GABABR), leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 (LGI1), contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2)], the prodromal symptoms or types of presentations often suggest a viral encephalitis. We review here clues that help in the differential diagnosis with infectious encephalitis. Moreover, recent investigations indicate that viral encephalitis (e.g., herpes simplex) can trigger synaptic autoimmunity. In all these disorders, immunotherapy is usually effective.Autoimmune encephalitis comprises an expanding group of potentially treatable disorders that should be included in the differential diagnosis of any type of encephalitis.http://links.lww.com/CONR/A25,

SUBMITTER: Armangue T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4132825 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Autoimmune encephalitis as differential diagnosis of infectious encephalitis.

Armangue Thaís T Leypoldt Frank F Dalmau Josep J

Current opinion in neurology 20140601 3

<h4>Purpose of review</h4>This review describes the main types of autoimmune encephalitis with special emphasis on those associated with antibodies against neuronal cell surface or synaptic proteins, and the differential diagnosis with infectious encephalitis.<h4>Recent findings</h4>There is a continuous expansion of the number of cell surface or synaptic proteins that are targets of autoimmunity. The most recently identified include the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), dipeptidyl-pep ...[more]

PMID: 24792345

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Project description:Background: The differential diagnosis of autoimmune and infectious encephalitis is notoriously difficult. For this study, we compare the presenting clinical symptoms and paraclinical test results of autoimmune and infectious encephalitis patients. A clinical algorithm for the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis has recently been published. We test these Graus criteria on our cohort for diagnostic sensitivity and specificity within the first week of presentation. Methods: We included all patients seen at our department within a 10-year-period who were diagnosed with encephalitis. The discharge diagnoses served as the reference standard for testing the clinical algorithm for two conditions: use of all the clinical information available on a patient during the first week of hospital admission assuming undefined autoantibody status and microbiological test results (C1) vs. consideration of all the information available on a patient, including the results of serological and microbiological testing (C2). Results: Eighty-four patients (33 autoimmune, 51 infectious encephalitis) were included in the study. Fifty-one (17 autoimmune, 34 infectious) had a definite clinical diagnosis. The two groups differed significantly for the presence of headache, fever, epileptic seizures, and CSF cell-count at presentation. Application of the clinical algorithm resulted in a low sensitivity (58%) and very low specificity (8%) for the diagnosis of possible autoimmune encephalitis. The latter increased considerably in the subgroups of probable and definite autoimmune encephalitis. Whereas the sensitivity of the individual diagnostic categories was clearly time-dependent, the specificity rested foremost on the knowledge of the results of microbiological testing. Anti-CASPR2- and -LGI1-associated autoimmune encephalitis and tick-borne virus encephalitis presented particular diagnostic pitfalls. Conclusions: We define clinical symptoms and paraclinical test results which prove valuable for the differentiation between infectious and autoimmune encephalitis. Sensitivity and specificity of the clinical algorithm clearly depended on the amount of time passed after hospital admission and knowledge of microbiological test results. Accepting this limitation for the acute setting, the algorithm remains a valuable diagnostic aid for antibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis or in resource-poor settings. The initiation of immune therapy however should not be delayed if an autoimmune etiology is considered likely, even if the diagnostic criteria of the algorithm are not (yet) fulfilled.

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Autoimmune encephalitis as differential diagnosis of infectious encephalitis.

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Autoimmune encephalitis as differential diagnosis of infectious encephalitis.

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