| Abstract [eng] |
This literature review aims to provide an overview of the current research on autoimmune epilepsy, including its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and current evidence of therapeutic options. It is based on articles dating from 2002 to 2023. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched to identify relevant articles. The results demonstrate the importance of differentiation between autoimmune-associated epilepsy and acute symptomatic seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis to delineate different etiologies, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment possibilities. The wide clinical spectrum of disease associated with autoimmune epilepsy includes clinical markers such as extreme delta brush pattern and faciobrachial dystonic seizures that are likely unique to the disease. Autoimmune encephalitis is a mostly treatable disease associated with good outcomes if diagnosis is established early and aggressive immunotherapy is initiated. Autoimmune-associated epilepsy, on the other hand, is a more poorly understood disease that is often treatment-refractory and associated with poorer outcomes. To conclude, autoimmune epilepsy is a growing field of research in which a better understanding of pathophysiology, more high-level evidence on treatment modalities, increased awareness of the disease, and a wider consensus of terminology are needed to improve clinical outcomes. |
