Admission diagnoses of patients later diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis
Top experts in Germany (on our Doctor's list) retrospectively analyzed symptoms and admission diagnoses at first clinical presentation in 50 AE patients.
The challenge is the broad spectrum of initial symptoms of AE and that it mimics other conditions. Also, not all doctors have heard about it or seen a case.
Of 50 patients who eventually received a diagnosis of AE, 40 patients (80.0%), had a clinical presentation at first admission was typical for AE. Ten patients (20.0%) initially suffered from atypical symptoms. So what happened? An initial diagnosis of suspected encephalitis was only reached in 16 patients (32.0%), 9 (18.0) of which were suspected to have infectious encephalitis, and 7 (14.0%) patients were suspected to have AE. In 34 patients (68.0%), a diagnosis other than encephalitis was considered, (e.g., epilepsy, psychiatric diseases, transient ischemic attack, dementia, meningitis, and cerebellitis).
This data shows the correct initial diagnosis of AE is often missed or delayed due to the wide spectrum of symptoms. Clinicians in neurological and psychiatric hospitals should consider AE in the differential diagnosis of cases with atypical clinical presentations.
