Paediatric Autoimmune Encephalitis at Teaching Hospital Batticaloa - A Retrospective Descriptiive Study

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a severe yet treatable neurological disorder characterised by inflammation of the brain due to an autoimmune activation. Diagnosis is often based on clinical presentation, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, neuroimaging, and electroencephalography. Antibody testing plays a crucial role in confirming the specific subtypes. A retrospective descriptive study was done to identify the characteristic features of autoimmune encephalitis in children admitted to Teaching Hospital Batticaloa from 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023. Cases were identified from the admission registers of all three units, the records were traced and studied further. During the study period, 13 children were diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, and 10 BHTs were traceable from the record room. There were 6 (60%) males, and the ages of the patients ranged from 5 months to 13 years (7.5± 4.6). Fever was present in 6. Five patients (50%) experienced status epilepticus, and 4 (40%) exhibited altered behaviour. Dystonic reactions were observed in 2 patients (20%), while 3 (30%) had reduced responsiveness.Lumbar puncture was done for seven patients; six were normal, and one resulted in NMDAR positivity. An NCCT brain was done in six patients; one was found to have meningoencephalitic changes with congenital abnormalities, and the others were normal. EEG was done in six patients, and all had encephalopathic changes.Treatment regimens included methylprednisolone and immunoglobulin. The duration of stay ranged from 5 to 14 days (10 ± 3.05). According to the records, all children were free of all symptoms at the time of discharge. Clinical suspicion, early recognition and aggressive management of AE are critical for optimising outcomes in pediatric AE.