Acute psychiatric illness in a young woman: an unusual form of encephalitis.

Full Abstract

A 21-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of acute psychotic mania, but developed, over approximately 6 weeks, seizures, delirium, catatonia, movement disorder and autonomic dysfunction. She was found to have antibodies to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) NR1-NR2 receptors in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid, consistent with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis, a severe, potentially lethal but treatment-responsive encephalitis often associated with ovarian tumour. With aggressive immunotherapy and bilateral oophorectomy, she recovered over a period of 14 months from her initial presentation. No ovarian tumour was identified.

Author information

Author/s: Parratt, Kaitlyn L (KL); Allan, Martin (M); Lewis, Simon J G (SJ); Dalmau, Josep (J); Halmagyi, Gabor M (GM); Spies, Judith M (JM);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW. drksharp(-atsign-)bigpond.net.au

Grants: 2R56-CA-089054-O6A1 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS) ; R01CA107192 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: The Medical journal of Australia (Med J Aust), published in Australia. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 191 (issue 5) : pp 284-6

Dates: Created 2009/09/10; Completed 2009/11/03;

PMID: 19740054, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/3/2009, IMS Date: )

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