title: Autoimmune epilepsy.
abstract: Despite the fact that epilepsy is the third most common chronic brain disorder, relatively little is known about the processes leading to the generation of seizures. Accumulating data support an autoimmune basis in patients with antiepileptic drug-resistant seizures. Besides, recent studies show that epilepsy and autoimmune disease frequently co-occur. Autoimmune epilepsy is increasingly recognized in the spectrum of neurological disorders characterized by detection of neural autoantibodies in serum or spinal fluid and responsiveness to immunotherapy. An autoimmune cause is suspected based on frequent or medically intractable seizures and the presence of at least one neural antibody, inflammatory changes indicated in serum or spinal fluid or on MRI, or a personal or family history of autoimmunity. It is essential that an autoimmune etiology be considered in the initial differential diagnosis of new onset epilepsy, because early immunotherapy assures an optimal outcome for the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy; Department of Surgical Science, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Ida
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy; Department of Surgical Science, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: armando.devirgilio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Virgilio
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Otorhinolaryngology Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Corso della Repubblica, 79, 04100 Latina, LT, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Attanasio
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruoppolo
authors.affiliation: Department Organs of Sense, ENT Section, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale del Policlinico 155, 00100 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Vincentiis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: Autoimmune disease; Autoimmune epilepsy; Autoimmune seizures; Epilepsy; Refractory epilepsy