[Clinical diagnosis and treatment of anti-NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor encephalitis]

Recent clinical management of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is reviewed. This illness is required the management of the neurological emergency. Typical symptoms of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis develop in several stages that progresses from psychosis, memory deficits, seizures, and language disintegration into a state of unresponsiveness with catatonic features often associated with abnormal movements, and autonomic and respiratory instability. The diagnosis is depended on the detection of the NMDA receptor antibody in CSF or serum under the above characteristic symptoms of encephalitis. The disorder predominantly affects children and young adults, occurs with or without tumor association. The presence of a tumor (usually an ovarian teratoma) is dependent on age and sex, being more frequent in women older than 18 years. Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis should be treated with tumor resection and immunotherapy (corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or plasma exchange) responded faster to treatment and less frequently needed second-line immunotherapy (cyclophosphamide or rituximab, or both).