Background
- See also paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis
- Caused by inflammation (usually autoimmune) in the hippocampus and amygdala
Etiologies
- Paraneoplastic (most cases)
- Small cell lung cancer (most common)
- Breast cancer, testicular tumour, teratoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, thymoma
Clinical Manifestations
- Impaired short-term memory, anterograde amnesia, behavioural and psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, irritability, personality change, confusion, hallucinations), partial and seconary generalized seizures
- Typically develops over weeks or months but can develop within days in some cases
- In cases of a paraneoplastic etiology, neurological symptoms typically precede diagnosis of the cancer
