Autoimmune encephalitis associated with Graves' disease: a case report

Acta Neurol Belg. 2013 Jun;113(2):185-7. doi: 10.1007/s13760-012-0107-0. Epub 2012 Jul 11.

Abstract

Almost all patients who developed autoimmune thyroid disease associated with encephalopathy were diagnosed to have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but a few patients with Graves' disease who developed encephalopathy have been reported. A 36-year-old female with a 10-year history of Graves' disease had experienced three episodes of tonic-clonic seizure. At admission, the patient's status was confused, and she also developed tactile and visual hallucinations. The cranial MRI confirmed white-matter lesion and showed subcortical high signal lesions on T2-weighted images. In EEG record, diffuse slow activity was noticed in both sides. T3 and TSH were decreased, T4 remained normal and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) was evaluated to be more than 2,000 (T4 = 8.4, T3 = 12/9, TSH = 0/14, TPO >2,000). The diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease is probable in all patients with signs of encephalopathy with unknown origin, while they have a previous history of thyroid disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Diseases / etiology*
  • Brain Diseases / pathology*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Encephalitis
  • Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / etiology
  • Female
  • Graves Disease / complications*
  • Hashimoto Disease / complications
  • Hashimoto Disease / etiology*
  • Hashimoto Disease / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Supplementary concepts

  • Hashimoto's encephalitis