Clinical diagnosis of LGI1 antibody encephalitis in an 83-year-old woman.
An 83-year-old woman was referred to hospital with a 2-week history of short-lived episodic unpleasant sensations in her head and running down her body. This was accompanied by new short-term memory impairment and arm spasms. Initial investigations including blood tests and brain imaging did not reveal the diagnosis. The patient developed an increasing frequency of abnormal movements of her face and arm. These were clinically recognised as faciobrachial dystonic seizures (FBDS). FBDS are pathognomonic of an autoimmune encephalitis caused by an antibody directed against leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1). The clinical diagnosis resulted in treatment with immunotherapy, leading to cessation of seizures and rapid cognitive recovery. Later, the predicted serology was confirmed. This reversible and under-recognised cause of cognitive impairment, typically affecting elderly patients, can be diagnosed clinically to enable early and effective treatment.
['Attwood|Jonathan E|JE|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0452-4077', 'Naseer|Saniya|S|', 'Michael|Sophia|S|', 'Riley|Josie|J|']
D061605:Administration, Intravenous D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001323:Autoantibodies D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction D005260:Female D005938:Glucocorticoids D006801:Humans D007167:Immunotherapy D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins D020363:Limbic Encephalitis D008032:Limbic System D008775:Methylprednisolone D010951:Plasma Exchange D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography D012640:Seizures D016896:Treatment Outcome
epilepsy and seizures geriatric medicine immunology memory disorders