FDG-PET in the Diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis

FDG-PET in the Diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis

The goal of this retrospective observational study is to compare brain fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) of patients with autoimmune encephalitis, normal controls and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The main question it aims to answer is:

•is there a specific pattern of brain metabolism in patients with autoimmune encephalitis Participants data and images will be retrospectively collected from hospital records, and FDG-PET images will be analyzed by means of statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Controls will be selected from validated public databases.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis according to clinical criteria
• Brain magnetic resonance imaging performed between clinical presentation and treatment
• Cerebrospinal fluid analysis performed between clinical presentation and treatment
• Brain FDG-PET performed between clinical presentation and treatment
• Autoantibodies testing performed between clinical presentation and treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal to give consent for the study