Neațu Monica, Jugurt Ana, Covaliu Anca, Davidescu Eugenia Irene, Popescu Bogdan Ovidiu
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
Department of Neurology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania.
Biomedicines. 2023 Aug 2;11(8):2176. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11082176.
Autoimmune encephalitis is a complex and multifaceted pathology that involves immune-mediated inflammation of the brain. It is characterized by the body's immune system attacking the brain tissue, leading to a cascade of inflammatory processes. What makes autoimmune encephalitis vast is the wide range of causes, mechanisms, clinical presentations, and diagnostic challenges associated with the condition. The clinical presentations of autoimmune encephalitis are broad and can mimic other neurological disorders, making it a challenging differential diagnosis. This diverse clinical presentation can overlap with other conditions, making it crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain a high level of suspicion for autoimmune encephalitis when evaluating patients. The diagnostic challenges associated with autoimmune encephalitis further contribute to its vastness. Due to the variable nature of the condition, there is no definitive diagnostic test that can confirm autoimmune encephalitis in all cases. In this context, personalized patient management is crucial for achieving favorable outcomes. Each patient's treatment plan should be tailored to their specific clinical presentation, underlying cause, and immune response. Our objective is to raise awareness about the frequent yet underdiagnosed nature of autoimmune encephalitis by sharing five cases we encountered, along with a brief literature review.
自身免疫性脑炎是一种复杂且多方面的病理状况，涉及免疫介导的脑部炎症。其特征是人体免疫系统攻击脑组织，引发一系列炎症过程。自身免疫性脑炎情况复杂的原因在于与该病症相关的病因、机制、临床表现及诊断挑战范围广泛。自身免疫性脑炎的临床表现多种多样，可模仿其他神经系统疾病，这使其成为具有挑战性的鉴别诊断难题。这种多样的临床表现可能与其他病症重叠，因此医疗专业人员在评估患者时对自身免疫性脑炎保持高度怀疑至关重要。与自身免疫性脑炎相关的诊断挑战进一步加剧了其复杂性。由于该病症的多变性，没有一种确定性的诊断测试能在所有病例中确诊自身免疫性脑炎。在此背景下，个性化的患者管理对于取得良好治疗效果至关重要。每个患者的治疗方案应根据其特定的临床表现、潜在病因和免疫反应进行定制。我们的目的是通过分享我们遇到的五例病例以及简要的文献综述，提高对自身免疫性脑炎常见但诊断不足这一情况的认识。
