Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children

Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is one of the most common autoimmune encephalitis in children. Most children recovered well after anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. However, the NMDA receptor network functions are critical for the developing brain in children. The lo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Po-Ming Wu, Chao-Ku Teng, Yen-Yin Chou, Yi-Fang Tu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-07-01
Series:Pediatrics and Neonatology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875957221000450
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850208662697541632
author Po-Ming Wu
Chao-Ku Teng
Yen-Yin Chou
Yi-Fang Tu
author_facet Po-Ming Wu
Chao-Ku Teng
Yen-Yin Chou
Yi-Fang Tu
author_sort Po-Ming Wu
collection DOAJ
description Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is one of the most common autoimmune encephalitis in children. Most children recovered well after anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. However, the NMDA receptor network functions are critical for the developing brain in children. The long-term consequences in pediatric patients of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis are very infrequently reported. Methods: This case series study retrospectively enrolled 10 children aged below 18 years old with antibody-proved anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in a tertiary medical center from 2010 to 2019. Long-term neurological consequences of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children were followed. Results: One boy and nine girls were enrolled with a median onset age of 3.6 years. The most common initial presentation was verbal reduction and psychiatric symptoms soon after some flu-like prodromal symptoms. Nearly all patients then developed decreased level of consciousness, mutism, seizures and orofacial-lingual dyskinesia. Autonomic instability occurred in 5 patients, particularly in pre-pubertal children. Only one adolescent patient had ovarian teratoma. All patients survived after immunotherapy and were followed for 5.8 ± 3.3 years after discharge. Four had epilepsy within 2 years after encephalitis, four had a cognitive deficit, one had mild psychiatric symptoms of hallucination, and none had residual involuntary movements. Moreover, two pre-pubertal children developed central precocious puberty about 3 years after encephalitis, and one required gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment. Conclusion: Central precocious puberty could be a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in the pre-pubertal children. The pediatrician should pay attention to its occurrence at follow-up.
format Article
id doaj-art-939f686ed1e742f997a4cf8e51473e31
institution OA Journals
issn 1875-9572
language English
publishDate 2021-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Pediatrics and Neonatology
spelling doaj-art-939f686ed1e742f997a4cf8e51473e312025-08-20T02:10:12ZengElsevierPediatrics and Neonatology1875-95722021-07-0162436136810.1016/j.pedneo.2021.03.004Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in childrenPo-Ming Wu0Chao-Ku Teng1Yen-Yin Chou2Yi-Fang Tu3Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70403, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70403, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70403, TaiwanDepartment of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70403, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Corresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138, Sheng-Li Road, North Dist., Tainan, 70403, Taiwan.Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is one of the most common autoimmune encephalitis in children. Most children recovered well after anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. However, the NMDA receptor network functions are critical for the developing brain in children. The long-term consequences in pediatric patients of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis are very infrequently reported. Methods: This case series study retrospectively enrolled 10 children aged below 18 years old with antibody-proved anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in a tertiary medical center from 2010 to 2019. Long-term neurological consequences of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children were followed. Results: One boy and nine girls were enrolled with a median onset age of 3.6 years. The most common initial presentation was verbal reduction and psychiatric symptoms soon after some flu-like prodromal symptoms. Nearly all patients then developed decreased level of consciousness, mutism, seizures and orofacial-lingual dyskinesia. Autonomic instability occurred in 5 patients, particularly in pre-pubertal children. Only one adolescent patient had ovarian teratoma. All patients survived after immunotherapy and were followed for 5.8 ± 3.3 years after discharge. Four had epilepsy within 2 years after encephalitis, four had a cognitive deficit, one had mild psychiatric symptoms of hallucination, and none had residual involuntary movements. Moreover, two pre-pubertal children developed central precocious puberty about 3 years after encephalitis, and one required gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment. Conclusion: Central precocious puberty could be a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in the pre-pubertal children. The pediatrician should pay attention to its occurrence at follow-up.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875957221000450anti-NMDA receptor encephalitischildrenprecocious puberty
spellingShingle Po-Ming Wu
Chao-Ku Teng
Yen-Yin Chou
Yi-Fang Tu
Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
Pediatrics and Neonatology
anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis
children
precocious puberty
title Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
title_full Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
title_fullStr Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
title_full_unstemmed Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
title_short Precocious puberty as a consequence of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in children
title_sort precocious puberty as a consequence of anti nmda receptor encephalitis in children
topic anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis
children
precocious puberty
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875957221000450
work_keys_str_mv AT pomingwu precociouspubertyasaconsequenceofantinmdareceptorencephalitisinchildren
AT chaokuteng precociouspubertyasaconsequenceofantinmdareceptorencephalitisinchildren
AT yenyinchou precociouspubertyasaconsequenceofantinmdareceptorencephalitisinchildren
AT yifangtu precociouspubertyasaconsequenceofantinmdareceptorencephalitisinchildren