Graus et al reported criteria for the diagnosis of the various types of autoimmune encephalitis. These included criteria for probable autoantibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis. The authors are from multiple institutions from around the world.
Patient selection: encephalitis
Criteria for probable autoantibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis - all of the following:
(1) rapid progression (< 3 months)
(2) working memory deficits, short-term memory loss, altered mental status or psychiatric symptoms
(3) exclusion of well-defined syndromes of autoimmune encephalitis
(4) absence of well-characterized autoantibodies in serum and/or
CSF AND >= 2 of the following:
(4a) MRI abnormalities consistent with autoimmune encephalitis
(4b) CSF pleocytosis OR CSF oligoclonal bands OR elevated CSF IgG index
(4c) brain biopsy showing inflammatory infiltrates and no other condition (tumor, viral inclusions, etc)
(5) reasonable exclusion of other explanations
