MR Imaging Findings in a Large Population of Autoimmune Encephalitis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Autoimmune encephalitis is a rare condition in which autoantibodies attack neuronal tissue, causing neuropsychiatric disturbances. This study sought to evaluate MR imaging findings associated with subtypes and categories of autoimmune encephalitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases of autoimmune encephalitis with specific autoantibodies were identified from the medical record (2009-2019). Cases were excluded if no MR imaging of the brain was available, antibodies were associated with demyelinating disease, or >1 concurrent antibody was present. Demographics, CSF profile, antibody subtype and group (group 1 intracellular antigen or group 2 extracellular antigen), and MR imaging features at symptom onset were reviewed. Imaging and clinical features were compared across antibody groups using χ2 and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Eighty-five cases of autoimmune encephalitis constituting 16 distinct antibodies were reviewed. The most common antibodies were anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (n = 41), anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (n = 7), and anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (n = 6). Eighteen of 85 (21%) were group 1; and 67/85 (79%) were group 2. The median time between MR imaging and antibody diagnosis was 14 days (interquartile range, 4-26 days). MR imaging had normal findings in 33/85 (39%), and 20/33 (61%) patients with normal MRIs had anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies. Signal abnormality was most common in the limbic system (28/85, 33%); 1/68 (1.5%) had susceptibility artifacts. Brainstem and cerebellar involvement were more common in group 1, while leptomeningeal enhancement was more common in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-one percent of patients with autoimmune encephalitis had abnormal brain MR imaging findings at symptom onset, most commonly involving the limbic system. Susceptibility artifact is rare and makes autoimmune encephalitis less likely as a diagnosis. Brainstem and cerebellar involvement were more common in group 1, while leptomeningeal enhancement was more common in group 2.

Acceptance and transfer to a regional severe respiratory failure and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service: predictors and outcomes.

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory failure is high risk and resource intensive. In England, five centres provide this service and patients who are referred have four possible outcomes: declined transfer due to perceived futility; accepted in principle but remain at the referring centre with ongoing surveillance; retrieved using conventional ventilation; or retrieved on extracorporeal support. The decision-making process leading to these outcomes has not previously been examined. We evaluated referrals to one centre and identified factors associated with each decision outcome. Five hundred and sixty-four patients were analysed from January 2012 to October 2015. One hundred and fifty-seven patients were declined; multivariate analysis demonstrated associated factors to be: age (odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.05 (1.04-1.07)); immunocompromise (4.95 (2.58-9.67)); lactate (1.11 (1.01-1.22)); duration of ventilation (1.08 (1.04-1.14)); and cardiac failure (3.22 (1.04-10.51)). Factors associated with the decision to retrieve an accepted patient were: plateau pressure (1.05 (1.01-1.10)); ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen (0.89 (0.85-0.93)); partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (1.13 (1.03-1.25)); and the absence of non-pulmonary infection (0.31 (0.15-0.61)). Only pH was independently associated with the decision to transfer on extracorporeal support (0.020 (0.002-0.017)). Six-month survival in the declined, non-retrieved, conventionally retrieved and extracorporeal-retrieved groups was 16.6%, 71.1%, 76.7% and 72.1%, respectively, substantially supporting the decision-making model. Survival in the accepted group exceeds that reported previously. However, a proportion of those declined do survive and some remotely managed patients die. This suggests the approach does not account for some important survival-determining factors.

Discharging patients home from hospital at the end of life.

This article provides an overview of important considerations for the non-palliative care specialist when discharging a dying person home to his or her preferred place of care. A highly practical framework is included for identifying and assessing the patient's needs, and devising a tailored care plan.

Enteroenteric fistula of the duodenum in a patient with AIDS and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a double lumen in the second portion of the duodenum in a 39-year-old man with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The lesion was not lined with an epithelium and improved with antituberculous therapy. These findings, as well as both an extensive transmural inflammation with foamy macrophages laden with acid-fast microorganisms and the destruction of the bowel wall, were consistent with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection, but not with congenital duplication. An upper gastrointestinal series was falsely negative. Deep, penetrating lesions and double-barreled lumen are not infrequent in AIDS-related esophageal disease. We propose that similar lesions related to M avium-intracellulare occur in the bowel, especially when immune impairment and mycobacterial infection are severe. Awareness of mycobacterial infections of the gut is important in the era of AIDS.

Incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in Scottish children between 1968 and 1983; marginal fall in ulcerative colitis, three-fold rise in Crohn's disease.

Linked hospital admission data for 1968-1983 were used to identify 723 children aged 16 years or less at the time of first admission to any Scottish hospital with an ICD coded diagnosis of Crohn's disease (282) or ulcerative colitis (441). The accuracy of the coded diagnoses was checked by examination of the hospital notes of 144 patients. The coded diagnosis was incorrect in 11/83 coded as Crohn's disease and 13/61 as ulcerative colitis; frequency of incorrect coding did not change significantly with time. Despite an 18% fall in the population aged less than or equal to 16 during this time, the number of new cases of Crohn's disease rose from 10 in 1968 to 28 in 1983. Thus the recorded incidence of Crohn's disease in Scottish children has risen more than three-fold in 16 years, from 6.6 to 22.9 per million (p less than 0.0001), with no difference between the sexes. Parallel data for ulcerative colitis were rendered inaccurate by miscoding of infective gastroenteritis as colitis. In an attempt to reduce this source of error cases aged five years and under were excluded from analysis, resulting in an incidence of 19.1 cases per million aged six to 16 in 1968 and 15.6 in 1983, not a significant change (r = 0.42, p = 0.052). When males and females were analysed separately, however, there was a significant decrease in the incidence of UC in male children (r = -0.4, p = 0.028), with no change for female children (r = 0.1, p = 0.595).