title: Hashimoto's encephalopathy mimicking Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
abstract: Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a rare, imprecisely defined autoimmune neurologic syndrome associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis that normally responds to corticosteroids. Here, we describe the case of a 55-year-old woman who presented with subacute cognitive decline and ataxia. Neoplastic, paraneoplastic, infectious, and metabolic etiologies were ruled out. Anti-TPO antibody level was markedly elevated at 966U/mL. After one month of 60mg/day of oral prednisone, she felt back to baseline and her Montreal Cognitive Assessment dramatically improved. Physicians should strongly consider this uncommon diagnosis in patients with rapid cognitive decline and no other clear etiology.
authors.affiliation: Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States. Electronic address: angela.gauthier@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.affiliation: Yale School of Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510, United States. Electronic address: Joachim.baehring@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Joachim M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baehring
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001259:Ataxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone
keywords: Ataxia; Cognition; Corticosteroids; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Dementia; Hashimoto’s encephalopathy