title: Autoimmune limbic encephalitis detected on FDG brain scan performed for the evaluation of dementia.
abstract: Most diagnostic imagers are familiar with the classic patterns of altered metabolism seen in Alzheimer disease, frontal temporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. However, awareness of other conditions that can cause cognitive impairment is crucial when interpreting FDG brain PET studies. This is particularly true of infectious and inflammatory processes, such as viral encephalitis, which should be diagnosed and treated on an emergent basis. In addition, altered metabolism can be caused by autoimmune paraneoplastic and encephalitic syndromes. We report a case of autoimmune limbic encephalitis encountered as part of evaluation for atypical onset cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of *Radiology, and †Neurology, University of Michigan and Ann Arbor VAMC, Ann Arbor; and ‡Midwest Neurology, Howell, MI.
authors.forename: Abraham C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Richard K J
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Rukhsana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Begum
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Nicolaas I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Bohnen
authors.forename: Kirk A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D020363:Limbic Encephalitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18