otksmama Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 In some recent discussions there has been mention of autoimmune encephalitis, as if it is something different from PANDAS /PANS. I'm confused...isn't PANS autoimmune and brain inflammation? Could someone clarify for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicklemama Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 My personal opinion is PANS is a form of autoimmune encephalitis. Dr. Chita Bhakta calls it that. I'm not sure enough testing has been done to definitively call it that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa3 Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Dr. Jones diagnosed my DD10 with autoimmune encephalopathy PANS/PANDAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyBop Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 Post infectious encephalitis can take many shapes and forms. There are two different types, primary and secondary. Any part of the brain, or the whole brain can swell in encephalitis. PANDAS seems to be a form of secondary encephalitis as it comes on up to 3 weeks after an infection, as opposed to the original infection directly attacking the brain. Straightforward encephalitis can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms but usually comes on abruptly with fever, headache, seizures, and other neurologic symptoms. Im sure that once the PANDAS battle is duked out it will be considered a post infectious encephalitis. But as for now, not too many of our kiddos will be receiving CT scans, lumbar puncture, or other testing to prove it one way or another, unless things are so severe that they must be hospitalized. It seems that most of the PANDAS kids have a low grade, chronic form of specific encephalitis as it only affects the basal ganglia. I can'y wait for the NIH studies to be released. Its our best hope for a DSM diagnosis and coverage for treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Nikki Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 It's my understanding that PANDAS is directly born from a strep infection while PANS is other infections not strep and both cause the autoimmune system to attack the brain. The defination does not include encephalitis as a symptom. Not saying that encephalitis can't occur as a result of PANDAS/PANS or even a chance of it happing the other way around. I don't know the cause of autoimmune encephalitis but there appears to be enought simularities in treatments that it makes me wonder if some of the underlying root causes might be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenyearswithpans Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had hypereosinophila that attacked my stomach brain and lead to gastrointitus with stomach ulcers my white blood cell were at 5600 for 7 years yes its possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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