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Rasmussen’s encephalitis

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Opinion statement

When the diagnosis of Rasmussen’s encephalitis is being considered, it is important to rapidly exclude other causes of epilepsia partialis continua and hemiparesis. Although there is no good data from randomized trials of different immune-related therapies, treatment with immunoglobulin G (IgG), steroids, or plasmapheresis is advocated as first-line therapy. It is not unreasonable to institute at least two treatment options (eg, IgG followed by plasmapheresis) if response to the first treatment is poor. Functional hemispherectomy and its variants are associated with a lower long-term complication rate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, UAB Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1719 Sixth Avenue, South, CIRC 312, 35294, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Dianne Counce MD, Nita Limdi PharmD & Ruben Kuzniecky MD

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  1. Dianne Counce MD
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  2. Nita Limdi PharmD
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  3. Ruben Kuzniecky MD
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Counce, D., Limdi, N. & Kuzniecky, R. Rasmussen’s encephalitis. Curr Treat Options Neurol 3, 555–563 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-001-0018-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-001-0018-5

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