Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (clinical case)

Abstract

Limbic encephalitis (LE) is an autoimmune disease of the сentral nervous system with a predominant destruction of the limbic system, including the hippocampus, the amygdala, the anterior nucleus of the thalamus and the limbic cortex. The clinical picture is characterized by subacute disorders of higher cortical functions (memory, learning, emotions), epileptic seizures and (or) mental disorders. Autoimmune reaction in LE can be caused by tumor processes, in-fectious or systemic disease, when it is not possible to identify the cause, LE is called "idio-pathic". There are no specific clinical and instrumental criteria for the diagnosis of the disease, often there is an erroneous or late diagnosis of LE. The given clinical example is an illustration of idiopathic limbic encephalitis with characteristic clinical and neuroimaging signs, effective treatment with glucocorticosteroids.