title: Acute psychiatric presentation of steroid-responsive encephalopathy: the under recognized side of autoimmune thyroiditis.
abstract: Steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), also known as Hashimoto encephalopathy, represents a rare disorder of presumed autoimmune origins that can be diagnosed when a protean variety of psychiatric symptoms are present in association with elevated titers of anti-thyroid antibodies. Symptoms can have a rapid and complete remission with corticosteroid treatment. A 19-year-old girl, with clinical history of Basedow-Graves disease, has been admitted to our department after presenting acute psychiatric symptomatology. Clinical and serological findings were used to formulate the diagnosis of SREAT, confirmed by subsequent positive response to corticosteroid treatment. SREAT can mimic an acute psychiatric symptomatology, thus it seems extremely relevant for psychiatrists to consider this syndrome in differential diagnosis algorithm, especially in those patients presenting a history of autoimmune thyroid disorder, in order to ensure adequate diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. cristiano.carlone@hotmail.it
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Todini
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majorana
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casciato
authors.forename: Anna Teresa
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Giallonardo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallagrosi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salviati
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biondi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D004660:Encephalitis; D005260:Female; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans