Autoimmune-mediated encephalitis and mimics: A neuroimaging review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroradiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Autoimmune encephalitis encompasses diverse neurological disorders triggered by autoantibodies.
• Variable clinical and imaging presentations pose significant diagnostic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review major autoimmune encephalitis subtypes and associated autoantibodies.
• To discuss characteristic clinical and imaging findings.
• To highlight conditions mimicking autoimmune encephalitis on imaging.

Main Methods:

• Literature search across neuroradiology, neurology, and nuclear medicine.
• Inclusion of institutional cases exemplifying key imaging features.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of autoimmune encephalitis subtypes and their specific autoantibodies.
• Correlation of clinical symptoms with characteristic neuroimaging findings.
• Identification of differential diagnoses presenting with similar imaging patterns.

Conclusions:

• Understanding diverse autoimmune encephalitis presentations is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
• Characteristic imaging features, alongside clinical and serological data, aid in subtype identification.
• Distinguishing autoimmune encephalitis from mimic conditions improves patient management.