1 month ago
35-Year-Old Woman's Seizures Diagnosed As Rare Autoimmune Encephalitis
A 35-year-old woman's body was mistakenly attacking her own brain, and that made her move in ways that looked like seizures.
For almost three months, other hospitals treated her for epilepsy, but the medicine did not make the movements stop.
At KIMS Hospitals in Thane, doctors did special brain tests and saw that her brain did not show the usual signs of epilepsy.
They also noticed she had changes in her behaviour along with the strange movements.
The doctors realized her immune system, the part of the body that fights germs, was causing swelling in her brain.
This condition is called autoimmune encephalitis, and it can look like epilepsy or a mental illness.
Doctors gave her strong medicine to calm down the immune system, and she improved quickly.
With therapy, she learned to walk, eat, and do her daily activities by herself again.
Doctors say this rare condition needs careful checking because it can be confused with other illnesses.
A 35-year-old woman with recurrent seizure-like episodes for nearly three months was diagnosed with rare autoimmune encephalitis at KIMS Hospitals, Thane.
She had consulted multiple hospitals and was treated for seizures and psychiatric symptoms, but her abnormal movements continued despite medication.
Doctors suspected autoimmune encephalitis because behavioural symptoms accompanied her episodes and repeated EEG monitoring showed no electrical changes typical of epilepsy.
She was treated with high-dose intravenous steroids followed by intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), with a significant reduction in abnormal movements within two days.
After being taken off ventilatory support and undergoing neurological rehabilitation, she walked independently and showed sustained improvement with only occasional residual episodes.
- Who
- A 35-year-old woman who had recurrent seizure-like episodes, treated by Dr Dipesh Pimple and the team at KIMS Hospitals, Thane.
- What
- Her seizure-like episodes were diagnosed as rare autoimmune encephalitis rather than conventional epilepsy, with her immune system mistakenly attacking her brain.
- Where
- KIMS Hospitals, Thane, near Mumbai, India.
- When
- Reported on August 13, 2026, after nearly three months of symptoms.
- Why
- Her immune system was mistakenly attacking her brain, causing inflammation and seizure-like movements that did not respond to routine epilepsy treatment.
Act Early
Confirm First
Immunotherapy timing
Act Early
Start immunotherapy early based on careful clinical assessment rather than waiting for every investigation, so treatment of this treatable condition is not delayed.
Confirm First
Wait for investigations to confirm the diagnosis before starting immunotherapy, since autoimmune encephalitis closely resembles epilepsy and psychiatric illness and could be mistaken for them.
Diagnosing unexplained seizures
Act Early
Unexplained seizure-like episodes that do not respond to routine treatment or are accompanied by behavioural changes warrant early, detailed neurological evaluation for rare conditions like autoimmune encephalitis.
Confirm First
Treating such episodes as seizures or psychiatric symptoms first is common practice because autoimmune encephalitis is rare, affecting only about 1-2 people per 10 lakh worldwide each year.
Key facts
- Patient
- 35-year-old woman
- Diagnosis
- Rare autoimmune encephalitis
- Hospital
- KIMS Hospitals, Thane
- Consultant Neurologist
- Dr Dipesh Pimple
- Symptom duration
- Nearly three months
- Treatments
- High-dose intravenous steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
- Improvement
- Significant reduction in abnormal movements within two days of IVIG
- Global prevalence
- About 1-2 people per 10 lakh per year
Quotes
Dr. Dipesh Pimple, Consultant Neurologist, KIMS Hospitals
Neurologist who diagnosed the patient
“Autoimmune encephalitis is one of the most challenging neurological conditions because it can closely resemble epilepsy or even primary psychiatric illness.”
freepressjournal.in
“Rather than waiting for every investigation to confirm the diagnosis, we relied on careful clinical assessment and initiated immunotherapy early.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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