The characteristics of clinical manifestations in patients with anti-γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor encephalitis / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the clinical features and prognosis in adult Chinese patients with anti-γ-aminobutyric acid B receptor (GABA-BR) encephalitis.Methods We reviewed the clinical manifestations,cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations,brain magnetic resonance imaging and prognosis of 12 patients who were diagnosed as anti-GABA-BR encephalitis in Capital Medical University Xuanwu Hospital from March 2013 to December 2015.Results The major clinical features of anti-GABA-BR encephalitis patients included seizures (12/12),cognitive disorder (10/12),psychiatric symptoms (10/12),sleep disorders (3/12),visual hallucination (2/12),involuntary movements (2/12),decreased consciousness (3/12),cerebellar signs (2/12),fever (2/12).GABA-BR-antibody was positive in CSF and serum of all the patients.Electroencephalogram revealed epileptic discharges in 4/12 patients.Brain MRI showed abnormal signal in up to 9/12 patients,located in the hippocampus,temporal lobes,thalamus and periventricular area.PET or SPECT indicated hypometabolism in 5/6 patients.After the average of fourteen months follow-up,9/12 patients had good prognosis,3 patients did not.Of 3 patients with poor outcome,2 had small cell lung cancer.Conclusions The predominant clinical features of the anti-GABA-BR encephalitis are seizures,cognitive disorder and psychiatric symptoms.The lesions are not only located in limbic system.Early diagnosis and immune modulation may provide a good outcome.