ABSTRACT
Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare and underdiagnosed neuropsychiatric illness. We present the case of a 17-year-old girl who was admitted to a tertiary-care psychiatric center with acute onset psychosis and fever. Her psychotic symptoms were characterized by persecutory and referential delusions, as well as tactile and visual hallucinations. Her acute behavioral disturbance warranted admission and treatment in a psychiatric setting (risperidone tablets, 3 mg/day). She had experienced an episode of fever with a unilateral visual acuity defect approximately 3 years before admission, which was resolved with treatment. Focused clinical examination revealed an enlarged thyroid, and baseline blood investigations, including thyroid function test results were normal. Abnormal laboratory investigations revealed elevated anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) levels (anti-TPO of 480 IU/mL; anti-TG of 287 IU/mL). Results of other investigations for infection, including cerebrospinal fluid examination, electroencephalography, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were normal. She was diagnosed with HE and was treated with intravenous corticosteroids (methylprednisolone up to 1 g/day; tapered and discontinued after a month). The patient achieved complete remission of psychotic symptoms and normalization of the anti-thyroid antibody titers. Currently, at the seventh month of follow-up, the patient is doing well. This case highlights the fact that in the absence of well-defined clinical diagnostic criteria, a high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis of HE. Psychiatrists need to explore for organic etiologies when dealing with acute psychiatric symptoms in a younger age group.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Female , Humans , Adrenal Cortex Hormones , Brain , Brain Diseases , Cerebrospinal Fluid , Delusions , Early Diagnosis , Electroencephalography , Fever , Follow-Up Studies , Hallucinations , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Methylprednisolone , Peroxidase , Psychiatry , Psychotic Disorders , Risperidone , Tablets , Thyroid Function Tests , Thyroid Gland , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
Resumen La encefalopatía de Hashimoto es una enfermedad rara. Se reporta una prevalencia de 2,1 por cada 100 000 habitantes. Entre las manifestaciones clínicas se describen confusión, disminución del estado de consciencia, déficit cognitivo, convulsiones, mioclonus, ataxia y/o déficits neurológicos focales. Debido a la amplia variedad de signos y síntomas, la sospecha clínica diagnóstica es fundamental. El diagnóstico se basa en tres pilares: la presencia de manifestaciones clínicas neurológicas, con la exclusión de otras causas de encefalopatía; presencia de anticuerpos antitiroideos aumentados; una mejoría clínica notable luego de la administración de inmunomoduladores. El tratamiento de la encefalopatía de Hashimoto tiene dos objetivos: controlar el proceso autoinmune y controlar las complicaciones de la enfermedad. Aunque en la mayoría de los casos la recuperación es completa con el tratamiento, el riesgo de recaídas puede oscilar entre 12,5 a 40% en seguimientos a dos años.
Abstract Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a rare disease, with a reported prevalence of 2.1 per 100 000. Clinical manifestations include confusion, decreased state of consciousness, cognitive deficit, seizures, myoclonus, ataxia, and focal neurological deficits. Due to the wide variety of signs and symptoms, clinical diagnostic suspicion is essential. Diagnosis is based on three pillars: the presence of neurological clinical manifestations after ruling out other causes of encephalopathy. 2) Presence of increased antithyroid antibodies. 3) Significant clinical improvement after the administration of immunomodulation. The treatment of Hashimoto's encephalopathy pursues two objectives: to control the autoimmune process and to control the complications of the disease. Although in most cases recovery is complete with treatment, the risk of relapse can range from 12.5 to 40% in follow-ups to 2 years.