[A case of non-herpetic acute limbic encephalitis in childhood--comparison with acute encephalitis with refractory repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS)]

A 9-year-old boy was diagnosed as non-herpetic acute limbic encephalitis (NHALE). Four days after the gastrointestinal infection, he developed a generalized seizure accompanied with delirium and psychiatric change, which evolved into intractable seizures. These seizures were complex partial seizures or generalized tonic clonic seizures, and were highly resistant to many anticonvulsants. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated reversible symmetrical high-intensity lesions in the claustra on the diffusion-weighted image. Laboratory findings did not suggest herpes simplex virus infection. Further, the clinical findings were consistent with those in acute encephalitis with refractory repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS). We assume that a part of AERRPS belongs to the category of parainfectious limbic encephalitis with repetitive seizures.