LGI1-antibody associated epilepsy successfully treated in the outpatient setting

Abstract

We report six patients with anti-LGI1 associated epilepsy. Two patients presented with new-onset generalized tonic-clonic seizures, four developed faciobrachial dystonic seizures and two piloerection. All patients had significant cognitive complaints at the time of diagnosis. All patients described seizure reduction during the first week of carbamazepine, and seizure freedom was obtained at a median of 13 days (range 7-22), sustained after the initiation of immunosuppression. Median time from symptom onset to carbamazepine initiation was 164 days (range 38-206 days). We discuss the particular seizure response to sodium channel blocking anti epileptic drugs, alone or associated with immunosuppression in this antibody mediated seizures.