Clinical Features and Functional Prognosis in Patients with Possible Autoimmune Encephalitis in a Neurological Emergency Department
Paula Catalina Robles-Monroy , Victoria Martínez-Angeles , Jesús Ramírez-Bermúdez , Arturo Violante-Villanueva , Lilia Salas-Alvarado , Xiomara García , Juan Carlos López-Hernández
Revista de Neurología ›› 2025, Vol. 80 ›› Issue (1) : 36202
Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) represents a severe neuropsychiatric disorder that requires early diagnosis. This study describes the frequency, clinical characteristics, and paraclinical findings in patients with possible autoimmune encephalitis treated in a neurological emergency department, as well as factors associated with poor functional prognosis at discharge.
This was an observational ambispective cohort study including patients diagnosed with AE who were treated in a neurological emergency department in 2022. Demographic, clinical, and paraclinical characteristics were evaluated, along with functional outcomes using the modified Rankin scale (mRS); ≤2 points, was considered as good prognosis. In the statistical analysis we used the chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, Student's T-test, and Mann-Whitney U test.
Out of 9046 patients, 31 (0.3%) met the criteria for probable autoimmune encephalitis (PAE). The average age was 28.4 ± 12.1 years and 51.6% were female. Cognitive alterations (90.3%), psychosis (74.2%), abnormal movements (71%), catatonia (67.7%), seizures/status epilepticus (64.5%, 19.4%), and dysautonomia (58.1%) were observed; 58.1% had a good functional prognosis. Factors associated with poor prognosis included older age (24.8 ± 5.0 vs. 33.4 ± 16.8, p = 0.049), status epilepticus (0% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.002), and lower frequency of headache (61.1% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.025).
AE represents a rare diagnosis even in a neurological emergency center; older age, status epilepticus and absence of headache were associated with poor functional prognosis at discharge.
encefalitis mediada por anticuerpos / servicio de urgencias / neuropsiquiatría / pronóstico / antibody-mediated encephalitis / emergency department / neuropsychiatry / prognosis
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