Brain on fire - myth or truth

Abstract

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a rare disease with a wide spectrum of symptoms, which in most cases presents with nonspecific symptoms. Distinguishing AE from infectious encephalitis is a key challenge. According to the subcommittee of the International Working Group on Autoimmune Encephalitis, the criteria for the classification of pediatric adverse events and the algorithm for early diagnosis in children with acute or subacute onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms include EEG, blood, urine, and CSF samples for AE antibodies and, as soon as possible, brain MRI. The most common AEs are Anti-NMDAR (Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) encephalitis, Anti-MOG (Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) encephalitis, Rasmussen encephalitis, paraneoplastic encephalitis, and Hashimoto's encephalitis. Screening for malignancies and receiving appropriate and timely treatment are particularly important for achieving better treatment outcomes, although some patients may take weeks, months, or even years to recover. Therefore, MRI monitoring over a longer period is justified.