The clinical features, treatment and outcomes of 33 children from Northwestern China with Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the clinical features and outcomes of children with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis in Northwestern China. METHODS: We retrospectively recruited 33 pediatric patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis in Northwestern China from December 2013 to April 2020. The demographics, clinical features, treatments, and outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: 33 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis were enrolled in this study (a median age of 6.8 years, 20 females and 13 males). The initial symptoms included seizures (42.4%), psychiatric symptoms (39.4%), speech dysfunction (12.1%), and paralysis (6.1%). During the course of the disease, 31 patients (93.9%) presented with psychiatric symptoms, 29 patients (87.9%) presented with speech dysfunction, 25 patients (75.8%) presented with movement disorders and 24 patients (72.7%) presented with sleep disorders followed by seizures, consciousness disturbance, autonomic nervous dysfunction, paralysis, and hypoventilation. 12 patients (36.4%) had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, 10 patients (30.3%) exhibited abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, and 29 patients (87.9%) showed abnormal Electroencephalography (EEG) findings. None of the patients had tumors. All patients received first-line immunotherapy and 8 patients both received first and second-line immunotherapy. 30 of the 33 patients achieved good outcomes (score on the modified Rankin Scale [mRS] of 0-2), whilst the other 3 patients had poor outcomes (mRS score of 3-6). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with higher CSF anti-NMDAR body titer were more likely to develop sleep disorders, consciousness disturbances and more severe disease states.