A 7-year-old with new-onset seizures, behavior disturbance, and encephalitis

J Neuroimmunol. 2024 Dec 30:399:578520. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578520. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Refractory seizures are common in pediatric neurology; consideration of whether seizures are acutely symptomatic of an underlying disease process is critical. In this case, a previously healthy 7-year-old patient presented with intractable focal seizures in the setting of a viral prodrome and headache. This case highlights a comprehensive work up of new-onset refractory seizures in a patient with features of encephalitis and describes a diagnostic quandary that ultimately led to a rare unifying diagnosis.

Keywords: Autoimmune neurology; Encephalitis; Paraneoplastic; Seizures.