Bilateral hearing loss caused by anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis with teratoma: A case report

TL;DR

A 34-year-old woman with a teratoma developed autoimmune encephalitis and bilateral hearing loss, which improved after tumor removal.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare presentation of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis with bilateral hearing loss.

Findings

The patient's symptoms improved significantly after teratoma resection.

Bilateral hearing loss was a prominent feature during the disease course.

The case emphasizes the need for early identification of autoimmune encephalitis.

Abstract

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is an autoimmune disease in the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations include cognitive dysfunction, psychiatric‐behavioral abnormalities, epilepsy, motor disorders, speech disorders, and memory impairment. Some patients do not have the characteristic clinical manifestations of the disease when they see a doctor, so they are easily diagnosed incorrectly. Autoimmune antibodies originate from genetic and acquired factors. Clinical data have found a correlation between ovarian teratoma and autoimmune encephalitis. This case reports a 34‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with teratoma‐associated anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐ aspartate receptor‐mediated autoimmune encephalitis called anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis with bilateral hearing loss in 2021. Through this case report, clinicians will pay attention to autoimmune encephalitis and raise awareness of the specific clinical manifestations of autoimmune encephalitis, and focus on early identification. It means that clinicians should be familiar with the representative clinical manifestations of the disease.

We report a case of teratoma‐associated anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis with bilateral hearing loss, which was diagnosed in our hospital, with symptoms of unilateral limb weakness and loss of consciousness, but hearing impairment was especially obvious during the course of the disease. The patient's symptoms improved significantly after the resection of the tumor. In this paper, the correlation between teratoma and autoimmune encephalitis was discussed, the pathogenesis of hearing impairment in teratoma‐associated autoimmune encephalitis was investigated, and the pathogenesis and treatment options of the disease were further discussed.

Figures