| Abstract [eng] |
Background: autoimmune epilepsy is an increasingly recognized term describing an involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of seizures and as a mechanism for neuronal hyperexcitability and injury. This neurological disorder is characterized by the detection of neural antibodies in serum or spinal fluid as well as responsiveness to immunotherapy. While there have been advances in finding out the etiological mechanisms, the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune epilepsy may prove to be difficult due to the complexity and variability of this illness. Aim: to conduct a literature review on autoimmune epilepsy, focusing on its’ etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options. Methods: a literature review was conducted on the PubMed database, using the keywords: „autoimmune epilepsy“, „autoimmune seizures“, „neural antibodies“, „autoimmune encephalitis“, „antiepileptic drugs“, „immunotherapy“. Articles published in the last 10 years in English were selected for the analysis. Results: the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune epilepsy describes a link between seizures and several infectious or (auto)inflammatory pathways, leading to an inadequate immune response and the formation of neural antibodies. Diagnosing autoimmune epilepsy focuses on using a variety of methods, such as analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid, neuroimaging techniques, electroencephalograms, neural antibody detection methods. The treatment focuses on immunotherapy, as anticonvulsant drugs alone are most often not effective. Conclusions: autoimmune epilepsy may have different causes and mechanisms. The seizures may be prolonged, debilitating, evolving to status epilepticus. Therefore, prompt diagnosis and initiation of adequate immunomodulating treatment are key in order to minimize the risk of disease progression, evolution and complications such as cognitive impairment. |
