title: Surgical control of limbic encephalitis associated with LGI1 antibodies.
abstract: Limbic encephalitis with LGI1 antibodies may cause drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. We report a case of a young man with progressive drug-resistant focal epilepsy, hyperhidrosis, and memory impairment associated with a left mesial temporal lesion. Epilepsy surgery was performed with the provisional diagnosis of cortical dysplasia or tumour. A neuropathological study following amygdalohippocampectomy revealed limbic encephalitis and LGI1 antibodies were identified in the serum. Two and a half years after surgery, the patient remains seizure-free without medication, with normal memory and without hyperhidrosis. Although immunosuppression is the first-line therapy for autoimmune limbic encephalitis, this case suggests that, in selected cases, a lasting response can be achieved with surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Santa Maria Hospital (CHLN, EPE), Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bentes
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maruta
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morgado
authors.forename: Isabel Pavão
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; D006801:Humans; D020363:Limbic Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies