Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is a type of autoimmune encephalitis that causes characteristic symptoms through the formation of antibodies against NMDA receptors. If ovarian teratomas are detected, surgical removal under general anesthesia is often considered. Many general anesthetic agents inhibit NMDA receptors. As such, anesthetic agents may have unexpected effects on disease progression. For anesthesiologists, providing general anesthesia for these patients is challenging and there are few studies on which anesthetic is most appropriate.
Case: Two female patients were diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and ovarian teratomas. Successful teratoma resection was performed under general anesthesia using remimazolam and remifentanil. After the surgery, one patient showed some improvement but died a month later. The other patient progressively improved over time.
Conclusions: Remimazolam and remifentanil are useful general anesthetic agents for patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Further studies are warranted.
Keywords: Encephalitis; General anesthesia; N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors; Remifentanil; Remimazolam; Teratoma.