Child Neurology: A Case of Rasmussen Syndrome Without Seizures

Rasmussen syndrome (RS) is a neuroimmune disease typically characterized by refractory focal epilepsy, epilepsia partialis continua, progressive focal neurologic deficits, and cognitive impairment. Seizures are often a presenting and prominent symptom, but RS may be diagnosed in the absence of seizures when a patient has 2 of the 3 Part B Bien criteria: (1) consistent histopathologic findings, (2) progression in unilateral cortical deficits, or (3) progression in focal cortical atrophy. We describe a patient who presented with hemiparesis and unihemispheric atrophy, meeting Bien criteria through progressive clinical changes and consistent histopathology on a brain biopsy. She did not have progression in focal cortical atrophy on imaging at the time of diagnosis. The patient has not developed seizures in the 4.5 years of monitoring after symptom onset. Our case illustrates that the underlying pathophysiology of RS is an immune-driven, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which frequently-but not always-causes seizures.