[Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with vertigo and muscle weakness in a male pediatric patient]

No To Hattatsu. 2016 Jan;48(1):45-7.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Hashimoto's encephalopathy is an anti-thyroid antibody-positive autoimmune encephalopathy. We herein report the case of a 13-year-old male patient with subacute vertigo, muscle weakness in the extremities and gait disturbance who was diagnosed with Hashimoto's encephalopathy. He showed no severe impairment of consciousness and no seizures, and there were no abnormalities on the brain MRI. However, epileptic spike and wave complexes were observed on an electroencephalogram, and a decline in blood flow was diffusely observed on brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography). His thyroid function was normal, but he was positive for anti-thyroid antibodies, such as anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase) antibodies. He was also positive for serum anti-NAE (NH2-terminal alpha-enolase) antibodies. Systemic corticosteroid therapy and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy were effective, greatly improving his quality of life.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Encephalitis / complications*
  • Hashimoto Disease / complications*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Muscle Weakness / etiology*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Ubiquitin-Activating Enzymes / analysis
  • Vertigo / etiology*

Substances

  • Ubiquitin-Activating Enzymes
  • NAE protein, human

Supplementary concepts

  • Hashimoto's encephalitis