Down syndrome and Hashimoto's encephalitis

Abstract

This review and discussion of current literature is based on the case of a teenager with Down syndrome (DS) who presents symptoms compatible with Hashimoto's encephalitis (HE).

Clinical case

A sixteen-year-old male with DS had a subacute onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) was confirmed and steroid treatment initiated, with positive results, so the diagnosis of HE was made.

Discussion

HT is a particularly common disease among patients that usually have autoimmune disorders, such as persons with DS. HE is a treatable condition that is poorly recognized in children and has been reported only twice with DS.

Resumen

Discusión y revisión de la literatura a partir del caso de un adolescente con síndrome de Down (SD) y sintomatología compatible con encefalitis de Hashimoto (EH).

Caso clínico

Varón de 16 años con SD que de forma subaguda inicia síntomas neuropsiquiátricos. Tras confirmarse una tiroiditis de Hashimoto (TH) y tratado favorablemente con corticoides, se llega al diagnóstico de EH.

Discusión

La TH es frecuente sobre todo en pacientes con tendencia a padecer enfermedades autoinmunes como en el SD. La EH se trata de una patología escasamente descrita en la edad pediátrica, tratable, que sólo ha sido comunicada en 2 pacientes con SD.