LGI1-antibody encephalitis with subsequent rapid progression of diffuse cerebral atrophy: a case report

Brain lesions due to leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1)-antibody encephalitis are usually limited to the medial temporal lobe, including the abnormal signal and variable degrees of atrophy. Cases of diffuse cerebral atrophy subsequent to LGI1-antibody encephalitis are rare. Here we report a 74-year-old male patient who developed LGI1-antibody encephalitis, and subsequently with rapid and extensive cerebral atrophy within 4 months of disease onset. The atrophy region included the bilateral hippocampus, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, brain stem, and cerebellum, which is atypical of this disorder. We discuss the probable pathogenesis of cerebral atrophy and the relationship between atrophy and prognosis.