title: Hashimoto encephalopathy - is it underdiagnosed in pediatric patients?
abstract: Hashimoto encephalopathy (HE) is associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Clinically it presents with variable symptoms like seizures, neuropsychiatric changes or focal neurological deficits. Autoimmune phenomena are hypothesized for the pathogenesis. HE has mainly been described in the adult population. We present two 14-year-old patients who presented with recurrent seizures and mental decline. SPECT and PET scans showed distinctly pathological changes. Both patients were diagnosed with HE and improved dramatically on steroids. We feel that HE is a rare but important differential diagnosis of encephalopathy also in the pediatric population. As this disease responds well to steroids, we recommend to obtain basic thyroid function tests as well as thyroid antibodies in all cases of unexplained encephalopathy or unexplained status epilepticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropediatrics, University Childrens Hospital, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: v Maydell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: v Komorowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Juengling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korinthenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011239:Prednisolone