The Texas Children's Hospital Experience With Pediatric Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis: 2010-2021

Objective Our objective was to characterize the patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and identify most common presenting symptoms etiologies. Background Anti N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a specific autoimmune CNS disorder that decouples electrochemical synapses from their neuronal network, causing seizures, neuropsychiatric symptoms, movement problems, autonomic dysfunction. Although well studied in adult population, clinical characteristics potential triggers pediatric cases of are not understood. Design/Methods We retrospectively analyzed at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) between 2010 2021, characterizing demographics, underlying Results Of 65 TCH, our cohort 65% female 62% Hispanic, which 1.6 times higher than demographics TCH patient population Houston Metropolitan area large (Harris County, 39% Hispanic). The average age onset 7.2 years (range 3 months 17.9 years). Post-herpetic NMDAR ovarian teratoma associated made up 12.8% 4.2% respectively. Among idiopathic group, symptom focal weakness altered gait speech regression (39.6%), while 12% presented isolated psychiatric symptoms. Within cohort, 100% had behavioral/cognitive 79% 73% 67% disorder, 61% memory deficits. Conclusions study describes help define etiologies heterogenous largest single center date.