Table 1.
Clinical features of 12 patients with antibody-negative limbic encephalitis
| Patient # Age/sex | Tumor (delay in months) | Prodromal symptoms | Main symptoms | Seizures | CSF WBC | Treatment | Outcome, last follow-up (months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. 65/M | None | No | Memory loss evolving to Klüver-Bucy syndrome | No | 0 | Intravenous steroids | b Sudden death (1) |
| 2. 40/F | None | Low-grade fever | Isolated short-term memory loss | No | 10 | Intravenous steroids | Partial improvement. Independent for ADL. (151) |
| 3. 59/M | None | Gastro-enteritis | Isolated short-term memory loss | No | 0 | Intravenous steroids and immunoglobulins | No improvement. Severe cognitive deficits. (168) |
| 4. 69/M | a H&N (6) | Fever episodes | Short-term memory loss, drowsiness and confusion | No | 3 | Intravenous steroids and chemotherapy | Improved. Independent for ADL. (24) |
| 5. 41/M | None | Fever and headache | Short-term memory loss, agitated, visual hallucinations | Yes | 21 | Intravenous steroids | Improved. Independent for ADL. (6) |
| 6. 79/F | Esophagus (−19) | Gastro-enteritis | Short-term memory loss and confusion | No | 11 | Intravenous steroids and rituximab | No improvement. Died from sepsis (6) |
| 7. 65/M | CLL (1) | No | Short-term memory loss and confusion | No | 9 | Intravenous steroids and rituximab | No improvement. Died from the CLL (6) |
| 8. 59/M | a H&N (6) | No | Short-term memory loss, apatic, visual hallucinations | No | 13 | Intravenous immunoglobulins | Partial improvement. Dependent for ADL. Died from pneumonia (60) |
| 9. 54/M | NSCLC (6) | Low-grade fever | Short-term memory loss, hypersomnia | No | 20 | Intravenous steroids and immunoglobulins, chemotherapy | No improvement. Died from stroke (18) |
| 10.66/M | None | No | Short-term memory loss, child-like behavior | No | 25 | Intravenous steroids | Improved. Independent for ADL. (31) |
| 11.45/M | None | No | Isolated short-term memory loss | No | 0 | Oral steroids | No improvement. Dependent for ADL. (120) |
| 12. 67/F | None | No | Isolated short-term memory loss | No | 0 | Intravenous steroids and immunoglobulins | Partial improvement. Dependent for ADL. (84) |
ADL: activities of daily living; CLL: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; H & N: Head and neck; NSCLC: Non-small cell lung cancer; WBC: White blood cells.
a
metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in cervical lymph node, primary tumor unknown.
b
Patient had a severe aortic stenosis