Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody syndrome
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Synopsis
Patients will often have a prodromal phase with fevers, headaches, and flu-like symptoms prior to developing neurologic and psychiatric manifestations. Within days to weeks, patients will classically develop prominent psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, hallucinations, delusions, unusual behavior), memory issues, seizures, encephalopathy, abnormal movements (chorea, dystonia, abnormal postures), language impairment, and autonomic instability.
This condition affects both children and adults and has been reported in patients as young as 8 years. Half of female patients over the age of 18 with anti-NMDA receptor antibody syndrome will have an ovarian teratoma. There is also an association of this condition with a prior history of herpes simplex viral encephalitis.
Codes
ICD10CM:G13.1 – Other systemic atrophy primarily affecting central nervous system in neoplastic disease
SNOMEDCT:
95643007 – Autoimmune encephalitis
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Schizophrenia
- Catatonia
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Viral encephalitis
- Herpes simplex encephalitis
- Toxic encephalopathy
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Central nervous system vasculitis
- Central nervous system lymphoma
- Gliomatosis cerebri
- Epileptic encephalopathy
- Venous sinus thrombosis
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Last Reviewed:10/23/2018
Last Updated:11/06/2018
Last Updated:11/06/2018