Abstract
Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) causes neurological psychiatric symptoms, seizures, and memory defects due to the immunological mechanism. It is often associated with small-cell lung cancer, germ-cell tumor of the testis and breast cancer. Recently, several cases of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody positive PLE (anti-NMDAR encephalitis) with ovarian teratoma have been reported. The optimal management of anti-NMDAR encephalitis is regarded as tumor resection and immunotherapy. If the tumor resection is performed promptly, the neurological prognosis is good, but complete recovery takes a long time. We report a 23-year-old woman demonstrating anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with ovarian teratoma. After the diagnosis, she underwent tumor resection promptly and several kinds of immunotherapy were administered. Although she required long-term intensive care to control seizures, she finally recovered without serious complications. If a young woman with no anamneses shows symptoms of encephalitis, anti-NMDAR encephalitis should be considered. If a tumor is detected, it should be resected promptly. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis has a relatively good prognosis, therefore persistent efforts to control seizures and rigorous medical management to prevent complications are important.
