A Case, Who Applied with Autistic Symptoms, Diagnosed as Limbic Encephalitis

Abstract

Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized as autism spectrum disorder in DSM 5 which is described by regression in the areas of communication, social interaction skills and motor behavior that develop normally in the first years of life. Autoimmune limbic encephalitis occurs with clinical manifestations of limbic system involvement such as subacute memory malformation, various neuropsychiatric symptoms, behavioral disturbances, and temporal lobe seizures. In this paper; an 7-year-old girl who applied with CDD findings, and diagnosed with limbic encephalitis after physical examination with symptoms persisted after IVIG treatment, was reported. Although autistic symptoms due to limbic encephalitis may be rarely seen in the clinic, autistic symptoms that are particularly acute or subacute are important neurological diagnoses that should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of psychiatric patients.

Keywords

• childhood disintegrative disorder
• autism spectrum disorder
• limbic encephalitis.