Autoimmune encephalitis and organic psychosis

Your progress

Saved on this device.

Target exams

Red flags

• Subacute new psychosis with seizures, dyskinesias, speech reduction, or autonomic instability — treat as possible autoimmune encephalitis until proven otherwise
• Catatonia or malignant catatonia at first presentation — include AE in the differential and escalate organic work-up
• Normal MRI does not exclude anti-NMDAR encephalitis — push CSF and EEG when red flags are present
• Serum-only antibody testing can false-reassure or false-alarm — pair serum and CSF cell-based assays
• Do not wait weeks for serology before starting immunotherapy when probable AE criteria are met
• Young woman with progressive psychosis — search for ovarian teratoma as part of the disease plan
• Behavioural relapse days–weeks after treated HSV encephalitis — consider post-infectious AE, not only viral recurrence