Hashimoto Encephalopathy: Clinical Features and Response to Steroids

Hashimoto encephalopathy (HE) is a diagnosis that is often considered in patients with a steroid-responsive encephalitis and elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) or thyroglobulin antibodies (Lancet Neurol 2016; 15:391). Mental status changes, cognitive decline, movement disorders, ataxia, psychosis, and seizures have all been described to occur in HE. However, TPOAb are present in some healthy individuals and are nonspecific. Investigators sought to better characterize their single-center, retrospective cohort.

Of 43 patients with suspected HE and negative neuronal/glial antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, along with 74 patients randomly selected with diagnosis of possible autoimmune encephalitis, 24 had high TPOAb (>200 I…