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Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis: An atypical presentation with ataxia
Author(s) -
BarqueroMadrigal Alejandro
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical and experimental neuroimmunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 1759-1961
DOI - 10.1111/cen3.12362
Subject(s) - encephalitis , autoimmune encephalitis , psychosis , ataxia , medicine , cerebrospinal fluid , gait ataxia , psychiatry , pediatrics , immunology , virus
Background Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis is a disorder characterized by psychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment, movement disorders and autonomic dysfunction; originally thought to be a paraneoplastic syndrome. The classical clinical picture comprises five stages, but there are some milder or incomplete forms of the disorder. Case presentation A 57‐year‐old man, with no previous psychiatric or comorbid illnesses, presented a clinical picture of initial psychosis followed by ataxia and headache. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid determination of anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware of some psychiatric manifestations that do not necessarily correspond to psychiatric illness. Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate encephalitis is a good example, and atypical presentations of the disorder are particularly challenging.