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Acupuncture treatment for anti-NMDAR encephalitis: A case report
Tianhong Yang1, Hui Cheng2, Chunlei Gu1
1Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Rationale:
Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare disease and common type of autoimmune encephalitis. The prognosis of patients with comorbid disorders of consciousness is poor, and no such acupuncture treatment has been reported. We report a case of acupuncture in anti-NMDAR encephalitis with a high cerebrospinal fluid titer combined with impaired consciousness.
Patient Concerns:
A 13-year-old girl with anti-NMDAR encephalitis presented to our hospital with impaired consciousness.
Diagnoses:
Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. According to the Chinese medicine theory, the diagnosis was Shenhun(phlegm obstructs the clear orifices).
Interventions:
Depending on the patient's condition, we used the Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture therapeutic method.
Outcomes:
After 16 weeks of acupuncture treatment, the patient awoke and resumed a normal life with no recurrence at one-year follow-up.
Conclusion:
This case demonstrated that acupuncture can be used as a complementary and alternative treatment for anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
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