title: Serial brain ¹⁸FDG-PET in anti-AMPA receptor limbic encephalitis.
abstract: Immunotherapy-responsive autoimmune CNS syndromes linked to antibodies targeting surface neuronal antigens lack reliable biomarkers of disease activity. We report serial cerebral (18)FDG PET studies in a woman with AMPA receptor (AMPA-R) autoimmune limbic encephalitis. During her follow-up, despite an aggressive immunotherapy, she displayed a persistent, predominantly left hippocampal FDG hypermetabolism, in the absence of CNS inflammatory signs. Brain metabolism abnormalities regressed after increasing antiepileptic treatment, correlating with a moderate clinical improvement. Brain (18)F-FDG PET could thus represent a useful complementary tool to orient the clinical follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Service of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spatola
authors.affiliation: Service of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stojanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.affiliation: IDIBAPS and Service of Neurology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalmau
authors.affiliation: Service of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: andrea.rossetti@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Andrea O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Rossetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D020363:Limbic Encephalitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: (18)FDG PET; Biomarker; Complementary exam; Disease activity; Follow-up; Therapy