Details of treatment-related difficulties in men with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis

Abstract

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) antibody-associated encephalitis is an immunologic disease characterized by a female preponderance. Males are infrequently affected. The clinical symptoms of affected boys as well as girls have been summarized, and they have some clinical features distinct from those of adults. However, the characteristics of men have been described in only a few reports. We describe in detail four men with anti-NMDAR encephalitis who presented with several clinical features that complicated disease management and recovery, including venous thrombosis, bilateral hippocampal involvement, hypersexuality, and joint contracture. We also report the first detailed clinical information about a male patient who died of this disease. In addition, we summarize the clinical characteristics of five patients previously reported by others.