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Pregnancy outcomes in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: Case series
Bastien Joubert1, Anna García-Serra1, Jesús Planagumà1
1From the Neuroimmunology Program (B.J., A.G.-S., J.P., E.M.-H., F.G., J.D.), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neurology (A.K.), Martha-Maria Hospital, Halle, Germany; Department of Neurology (F.P.), Helios Hospital, Schleswig, Germany; Department of Neurology (T.I.), Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan; French Reference Center on Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes (B.J., J.H.), Hospices Civils de Lyon, SynatAc Team, Institut NeuroMyoGène, INSERM U1217/CNRS UMR 5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1; France; Neuroimmunology Section (F.L.), Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel/Lübeck, Germany; Department of Neurology (F.L.), Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) (J.D.), Barcelona, Spain; and Department of Neurology (J.D.), University of Pennsylvania, PA.
Objective:
To report the effects of anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis in pregnant patients and their babies.
Methods:
We studied a retrospective cohort of patients who developed anti-NMDAR encephalitis during pregnancy or became pregnant while recovering from the encephalitis. In addition, we reviewed the English literature between 2010 and 2019 related to this topic.
Results:
We studied 11 patients; 6 developed anti-NMDAR encephalitis during pregnancy, and 5 became pregnant while recovering. There were no obstetrical complications, but 6 (55%) babies were premature. Ten newborns were healthy, and 1 (9%) developed transient respiratory distress. Nine infants had assessable follow-up (median 18 months; range, 7-96 months), and all showed normal development. We identified 21 cases in the English literature. Obstetrical complications occurred in 7 (33%) pregnancies. Two patients died of septic shock (1 baby successfully delivered), another 2 had miscarriages, and in 2, the pregnancy was terminated. Sixteen babies (76%) were delivered, 9 (56%) premature. At birth, 13/16 (81%) newborns were healthy, 2/16 (13%) had transient neurologic or respiratory symptoms, and 1 (6%) died of brain edema. Follow-up (median 12 months; range, 6-36 months) was reported for 8 children: 7 (88%) showed normal development and behavior, and 1 (13%) cortical dysplasia. Immunotherapy was used during pregnancy in 7 (64%) of our patients and 18 (86%) of the reported cases, including rituximab in 4 cases, without adverse effects.
Conclusions:
Patients who develop anti-NMDAR encephalitis during pregnancy or become pregnant during recovery often have obstetrical complications, but most of the newborns are healthy and appear to have normal development.
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