Autoimmune focal encephalitis shows marked hypermetabolism on positron emission tomography.
A 22-month-old toddler presented with involuntary movements, hemiparesis, and behavioral changes. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormality, but positron emission tomography (PET) showed focal hypermetabolism. By immunohistochemical technique with the patient's sera in control brain sections, autoantibodies recognizing the same areas as found by PET scanning were identified and disappeared after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. PET scanning may be useful in the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis.
Sekigawa
Mariko
M
Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo Nerima Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. m-seki@med-juntendo.ac.jp
Okumura
Akihisa
A
Niijima
Shin-Ichi
S
Hayashi
Masaharu
M
Tanaka
Kyoko
K
Shimizu
Toshiaki
T
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors