Course and outcome of acute limbic encephalitis with negative voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies
- 3 October 2006
- journal article
- case report
- Published by BMJ in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
- Vol. 78 (4), 391-394
- https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2006.093096
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limbic encephalitis is a potentially treatable immunological condition. The presence of voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies (VGKC-Ab) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of patients with the condition is a marker of the disease associated with a non-paraneoplastic form and good response to treatment. Recent work has highlighted absent serum VGKC-Ab and distinct immunology in patients with the paraneoplastic form of limbic encephalitis. METHODS: The cases of four patients with the typical clinical presentation, neuropsychological features and brain imaging of acute limbic encephalitis, in the absence of any evidence for associated cancer during a follow-up of at least 18 months are described here. RESULTS: All patients had negative testing for VGKC-Ab measured during their acute presentation. All patients made some recovery, although they were left with marked cognitive deficits and persistent seizures. CONCLUSION: These cases demonstrate that the absence of VGKC-Ab in limbic encephalitis does not necessarily imply a paraneoplastic form. Further work is required to establish the immunological basis for the disorder in these patients, and the optimal treatment regimenThis publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
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