A Case of Steroid-Responsive Encephalopathy

The use of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of Hashimoto's encephalopathy: case based review

Background

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a controversial immunological neuropsychiatric disease, with a poorly understood pathogenesis. It is characterized by symptoms of acute or subacute encephalopathy which usually occur in the presence of elevated levels of antithyroid antibodies. Even though it is also known as steroid responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), some cases appear to be steroid-resistant. This review examined whether treatment of Hashimoto's encephalopathy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is associated with better clinical outcomes than the standard therapy. Additionally, we presented a case of a 59-year-old man who presented with severe neurological manifestations and was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin.

Methods

The online databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched.

Results

A total of 1,365 articles were identified. After the deletion of 112 duplicates, 1,253 studies were screened by evaluating the title and abstract, focusing on Hashimoto's encephalopathy cases where IVIG were used. 846 studies were excluded because they were not relevant to the topic or included pediatric population. Therefore, 407 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. The final analysis included 14 eligible articles after 393 were excluded (irrelevant texts, not written in English, full-text not available). In the majority of the selected case-reports, IVIG was associated with a good outcome, sometimes even with dramatic improvements in patient's status.

Conclusion

In last years, intravenous immunoglobulin therapy proved its utility in Hashimoto's encephalopathy's treatment, being a well tolerated therapy associated with remarkable improvement in patient's status. Further research is still needed in order to define the optimal treatment protocol for Hashimoto's encephalopathy and to establish if intravenous immunoglobulin can also be used as a first-line therapy, alone or in combination with steroids.

Cerebellar Ataxia in the Setting of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A Case Report Update and Review

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare diagnosis. Establishing the diagnosis itself is quite challenging, as symptoms vary among cases and there is still no standard confirmatory test. The clinical presentation is heterogeneous; however, patients with HE most commonly experience focal neurological deficits, frequently accompanied by cognitive dysfunction, aphasia, or paresis. The most widely recommended initial treatment for cases of HE is a course of corticosteroids. Nonetheless, their response varies from patient to patient, and some may become resistant to them. There are many proposed second-line treatments; however, there is little data and no consensus on the best alternative treatment when steroid therapy fails. This article provides an update on a case of cerebellar ataxia in a 30-year-old female patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. She initially presented with rapid-onset progressive symptoms of cerebellar ataxia (movement incoordination, dysmetria, and balance problems) and had elevated serum anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies. She was diagnosed with HE and was initially treated with methylprednisolone. However, her symptoms recurred after tapering steroid therapy, and eventually, they ceased to manage her symptoms, plus she developed steroid-induced osteoporosis. She began treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as an alternative in April 2022. Since then, she has had four infusions of IVIG that have allowed her to remain symptom-free.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Presents as an Acute Encephalopathy: A Case Report of Unusual Presentation

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common thyroid disorder in the United States. Hashimoto encephalopathy is a rare presentation of Hashimoto's thyroiditis that is frequently misdiagnosed.

We present the case of a 71-year-old female who had normal mental status at baseline. She presented with acute alteration in mental status. Further evaluation with brain MRI showed a hyperintense signal in the bilateral centrum. Spinal fluid analysis revealed elevated protein. Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody was elevated at 59.7 and TSH was elevated at 4.9. Her mental status improved dramatically after treatment with steroids and levothyroxine.

This diagnosis should be suspected when the patient develops acute encephalopathy with positive serum thyroid antibody settings with a complete return to normal mental status after treatment with steroids.