A Clinical Study Of Autoimmune Encephalitis And Viral Encephalitis

Objective: The purpose was to study the main clinical features of23cases ofautoimmune encephalitis, mainly refered to the autoimmune encephalitis associated withspecific antibodies, the key point was the differential diagnosis with viral encephalitis.Method: The clinical data of44patients with encephalitis who were treated in theneurologic department of the First Hospital of Jilin University,date from December2012toDecember2014.In addition, antibodies associated with autoimmune encephalitis were testedboth in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of all the patients. According to the etiology,patientswere divided into two groups:autoimmune encephalitis group and viral encephalitis group.Further analysis was carried out for their total clinical features, such as: age; gender;medicalhistory; clinical; symptoms; magnetic resonance imaging; electroencephalogram; as well assome serum and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS17.0.Result: Univariate analysis showed that there were5factors that have statisticalsignificant (P<0.05) between autoimmune encephalitis and viral encephalitis among the44patients:1.The most common onset form of autoimmune encephalitis was subacute,while itwas acute in most patients with viral encephalitis;2. Most patients with viral encephalitis hadprodromal symptoms as a fever or headache,but most patients with autoimmune encephalitiswere lack of them;3.Seizures were more common in patients with autoimmune encephalitisthan patients with viral encephalitis;4.There were more patients whose protein incerebrospinal fluid were increased in autoimmune encephalitis;5.The head MRI presentedthat the more patients with viral encephalitis had abnormal sign in the position of temporallobe.Conclusion:1. There is no significant difference between autoimmune encephalitis andviral encephalitis in gender, age, tumor and immunologic function.2.The most common onsetform of autoimmune encephalitis is subacute,while it was acute in most patients with viralencephalitis;most patients with viral encephalitis have prodromal symptoms as a fever orheadache,but most patients with autoimmune encephalitis are lack of them;seizures are morecommon in patients with autoimmune encephalitis than patients with viral encephalitis.3.Thehead MRI presented that the more patients with viral encephalitis had abnormal sign in theposition of temporal lobe.4.There were more patients whose protein in cerebrospinal fluid were increased in autoimmune encephalitis.5.Anti-NMDAR encephalitis is the mostcommon kind of autoimmune encephalitis.