Diagnostic Criteria for AE Released
June 23, 2016
A newly released precis provides clear diagnostic criteria for autoimmune encephalitis. This effort, lead by Dr. Domingo Escudero, Dr. Francesc Graus and Dr. Josep Dalmau, summarizes the Lancet Neurology article “A clinical approach to autoimmune encephalitis“.
The Lancet Neurology article provides the first broadly accepted criteria for diagnosing autoimmune encephalitis. A previous AE Alliance blog reviewed the article and it’s connection to the first International Symposium on AE.
The precis released this week provides a great synopsis of the Lancet paper. The review provides an easily accessible review of key points and diagnostic criteria for various forms of autoimmune encephalitis. Among the key points:
- the diagnosis criteria does not rely on antibody status;
- response to immunotherapy not a focus of the diagnostic criteria;
- the initial diagnostic assessment should be conducted rapidly to allow early initiation of immunotherapy; and
- the diagnostic criteria should be applied with caution for children, especially those less than 5 years old
The AE Alliance encourages all patients to share the precis and the full Lancet Neurology article with their medical team. And thank you to all the clinicians who participated in writing the full paper and compiling the precis.
UPDATED June 24 to reflect role of Dr. Domingo Escudero as author of the precis.
