Table 2.
Comparative characteristics of patients with antibody-positive encephalitis: relapsing versus non-relapsing cases.
| Characteristics | Relapse (n=92) | No relapse (n=269) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female (%) | 41 (44.6) | 117 (43.5) | 0.858 |
| Age at onset (range), y | 52.5 (6-83) | 52 (3-87) | 0.717 |
| Initial presentation | |||
| Neuropsychiatric | 24 (26.1) | 66 (24.5) | 0.766 |
| Seizures | 42 (45.7) | 115 (42.8) | 0.628 |
| Memory dysfunction | 18 (19.6) | 56 (20.8) | 0.797 |
| Impaired consciousness | 1 (1.1) | 10 (3.7) | 0.360 |
| Language problem | 2 (2.2) | 10 (3.7) | 0.707 |
| Dyskinesia/dystonia | 1 (1.1) | 5 (1.9) | 1.000 |
| Gait instability and ataxia | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.1) | 0.574 |
| Other | 4 (4.3) | 4 (1.5) | 0.231 |
| Delayed immunotherapy (%) | 28 (30.4) | 86 (32.0) | 0.784 |
| ≥2ASM | 33 (35.9) | 98 (36.4) | 0.923 |
| ICU admission (%) | 12 (13.0) | 40 (14.9) | 0.667 |
| GCS scores ≤ 13 (%) | 21 (22.8) | 77 (28.6) | 0.280 |
| Any cognitive concerns, n (%) | 81 (88.0) | 236 (87.7) | 0.937 |
| Presence of tumor (%) | 10 (10.9) | 17 (6.3) | 0.152 |
| Diffusion restriction (%) | |||
| Cortex (%) | 23 (25.0) | 53 (19.7) | 0.282 |
| Subcortex/white matter (%) | 12 (13.0) | 33 (12.3) | 0.846 |
| Medial temporal cortex (%) | 32 (34.8) | 80 (29.7) | 0.367 |
| Infra-tentorium (%) | 3 (3.3) | 12 (4.5) | 0.845 |
| Video-EEG | |||
| Diffuse slow wave | 22 (23.9) | 61 (22.7) | 0.808 |
| Interictal epileptiform discharge | 56 (60.9) | 128 (47.6) | 0.028 |
| Seizures captured | 16 (17.4) | 35 (13.0) | 0.298 |
| Initially treated with combined first-line IT, n (%) | 55 (59.8) | 174 (64.7) | 0.399 |
| Initially treated with long-term IT, n (%) | 18 (19.6) | 48 (17.8) | 0.712 |
| Initially treated with second-line IT, n (%) | 9 (9.8) | 20 (7.4) | 0.475 |
| Treated with long-term IT during course, n (%) | 20 (21.7) | 51 (19.0) | 0.563 |
| Treated with second-line IT during course, n (%) | 6 (6.5) | 15 (5.6) | 0.738 |
| combined first-line IT+long-term IT during course | 14 (15.2) | 36 (13.4) | 0.660 |
| combined first-line IT + second-line IT during course | 2 (2.2) | 15 (5.6) | 0.296 |
| Highest seizure frequency, n (%) | |||
| Single seizure Multiple daily/daily Weekly Monthly |
2 (2.2) | 19 (7.1) | 0.084 |
| 40 (43.5) | 89 (33.1) | 0.073 | |
| 22 (23.9) | 67 (24.9) | 0.849 | |
| 10 (10.9) | 25 (9.3) | 0.659 | |
| Type of seizure at onset, n (%) | |||
| FBDS Focal seizures SE |
16 (17.4) | 21 (7.8) | 0.009 |
| 73 (79.3) | 197 (73.2) | 0.244 | |
| 17 (18.5) | 39 (14.5) | 0.363 | |
| CSF leucocyte level (106/L) M (P25,P75) | 9.0 (3.0,15.0) | 10.0 (2.0,27.0) | 0.274 |
| CSF protein level (g/L) M (P25,P75) | 0.47 (0.30,0.56) | 0.35 (0.27,0.54) | 0.013 |
| Baseline CASE scores M (P25,P75) | 6 (4,7) | 5 (3,7) | 0.277 |
| Immunotherapy-3M CASE scores M (P25,P75) | 2 (2,3) | 2 (1,3) | 0.504 |
| Baseline mRS scores M (P25,P75) | 3 (2,3) | 3 (2,4) | 0.723 |
| Immunotherapy-3M mRS scores M (P25,P75) | 2 (1,2) | 2 (1,2) | 0.851 |
ASM, antiseizure medication; ICU, Intensive Care Unit; IT, immunotherapy; FBDS, faciobrachial dystonic seizures; SE, status epilepticus; CASE, Clinical Assessment Scale in Autoimmune Encephalitis; mRS, modified Rankin Scale.