Periodicidad semestral: flujo continuo.
ISSN - Electrónico: 2661-6947 / DOI: 10.36015 • LILACS BIREME (19784); LATINDEX (20666)
INTRODUCTION. Autoimmune encephalitis is a severe inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system caused by antibodies. Its diagnosis in pediatrics is complex, so it is relevant to deeply analyze its clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, and treatment. OBJECTIVE. To establish the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autoimmune Encephalitis in patients under 18 years of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Systematic review. A search for articles published in English and Spanish (2016-2021) was performed through PubMed, Google Scholar, The Lancet databases, with the following keywords: autoimmune encephalitis AND pediatrics OR children OR diagnosis AND antibodies OR treatment OR immunotherapy. The study quality
was assessed using the NIH Quality Assessment Tools scale. The heterogeneity of the data only allowed the calculation of the symptom frequencies, and a narrative description of the findings was made. RESULTS. Out of 100 articles, 15 were selected. Encephalitis due to antibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor is the most frequent. Seizures (52.6%), movement disorders (45%), and personality or behavior changes (44.4%) form the most frequent clinical symptomatology of this condition in children. The cerebrospinal fluid study showed lymphocytic pleocytosis and increased protein. Treatment with empirical immunotherapy after excluding infectious or metabolic causes is safe, compared to any other treatment. CONCLUSION. Autoimmune encephalitis against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor is more common in children. It has
a diverse clinical presentation and improves with empirical immunotherapy; it is necessary to maintain a strong presumption of this condition.
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