Hashimoto's encephalopathy in the elderly: relationship to cognitive impairment

J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2002 Fall;15(3):175-9. doi: 10.1177/089198870201500309.

Abstract

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with high titers of antithyroid antibodies. To date, 57 pediatric-, adult-, and elderly-onset cases have been described in the literature. The clinical picture is pleomorphic, and cognitive impairment is a frequently reported symptom. We report the case of a patient with slowly progressive cognitive impairment possibly caused by HE. The issue of the differential diagnosis with primary dementia is discussed. A review of cases of HE showing cognitive deterioration is also presented, and factors possibly related to characteristics of cognitive impairment and outcome after therapy are considered.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies / blood
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Thyroid Gland / immunology
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / complications*
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / immunology
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / pathology

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins