1. Hashimoto’s encephalopathy: a rare cause of delirium
- Author
-
Kavya Patel and Osakpolor Ogbebor
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Encephalopathy ,Hashimoto's encephalopathy ,Hashimoto Disease ,030105 genetics & heredity ,Diagnosis, Differential ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Rare Disease ,Thyroid peroxidase ,Atrial Fibrillation ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged, 80 and over ,Travel ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,biology ,business.industry ,Thyroid disease ,Delirium ,Complete blood count ,Atrial fibrillation ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Treatment Outcome ,Hypertension ,biology.protein ,Encephalitis ,Female ,Steroids ,medicine.symptom ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Rare disease - Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a frequent presentation of patients who come to the hospital. We report a case of a patient who presents with a common symptom, however, with a rare disease. This is an 84-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and atrial fibrillation who was reported to have confusion of 3 weeks. Investigations, including a complete blood count, MRI imaging of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and paraneoplastic screen, were all negative. Of note, thyroid peroxidase antibody was elevated. She did not have a history of thyroid disease. Following this, an assessment of Hashimoto encephalopathy was made. She was started on steroids and she showed remarkable recovery within 2 months, therefore, confirming the diagnosis. This case report emphasises the need to consider Hashimoto’s encephalopathy as a differential for delirium especially when other common aetiologies have been ruled out.
- Published
- 2019