Autoimmune Encephalitis Secondary to Melanoma
Authors: Ali Daneshmand, Gaurav Goyal, Svetomir Markovic, Anastasia Zekeridou, Eelco F.M. Wijdicks, Sara E. Hocker
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters18 June 2019Autoimmune Encephalitis Secondary to MelanomaAli Daneshmand, MD, MPH, Gaurav Goyal, MBBS, Svetomir Markovic, MD, PhD, Anastasia Zekeridou, MD, Eelco F.M. Wijdicks, MD, PhD, and Sara E. Hocker, MDAli Daneshmand, MD, MPHMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this author, Gaurav Goyal, MBBSMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this author, Svetomir Markovic, MD, PhDMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this author, Anastasia Zekeridou, MDMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this author, Eelco F.M. Wijdicks, MD, PhDMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this author, and Sara E. Hocker, MDMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L18-0593 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: The receptor for α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) is a glutamate receptor that mediates synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Antibodies against the AMPA receptor are found in encephalitis associated with lung, breast, and thymus tumors (1). To our knowledge, paraneoplastic autoimmune encephalitis with anti–AMPA receptor antibodies has not been reported with melanoma.Objective: To describe a patient with encephalitis, anti–AMPA receptor antibodies, and metastatic melanoma.Case Report: A 61-year-old woman noted difficulty with goal-directed tasks and planning, which progressed over a few days to short-term memory loss and confusion. She was admitted to the hospital, where the initial examination ...References1. Lai M, Hughes EG, Peng X, Zhou L, Gleichman AJ, Shu H, et al. AMPA receptor antibodies in limbic encephalitis alter synaptic receptor location. Ann Neurol. 2009;65:424-34. [PMID: 19338055] doi:10.1002/ana.21589 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Höftberger R, van Sonderen A, Leypoldt F, Houghton D, Geschwind M, Gelfand J, et al. Encephalitis and AMPA receptor antibodies: novel findings in a case series of 22 patients. Neurology. 2015;84:2403-12. [PMID: 25979696] doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000001682 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Joubert B, Kerschen P, Zekeridou A, Desestret V, Rogemond V, Chaffois MO, et al. Clinical spectrum of encephalitis associated with antibodies against the a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor: case series and review of the literature. JAMA Neurol. 2015;72:1163-9. [PMID: 26280228] doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1715 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Ascierto PA, McArthur GA, Dréno B, Atkinson V, Liszkay G, Di Giacomo AM, et al. Cobimetinib combined with vemurafenib in advanced BRAF(V600)-mutant melanoma (coBRIM): updated efficacy results from a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016;17:1248-60. [PMID: 27480103] doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30122-X CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (A.D., G.G., S.M., A.Z., E.F.W., S.E.H.)Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L18-0593.This article was published at Annals.org on 12 February 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byValidation of the Clinical Assessment Scale in Autoimmune Encephalitis in Chinese PatientsClinical characteristics and prognosis of anti-alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic acid receptor encephalitisAnti-Alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptor Encephalitis: A Review 18 June 2019Volume 170, Issue 12Page: 905-906KeywordsAntibodiesColony stimulating factorCytomegalovirus infectionEncephalitisEpstein-Barr virusHerpes simplexLymph nodesMelanomaShort term memoryTomography ePublished: 12 February 2019 Issue Published: 18 June 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...