Rasmussen’s Encephalitis : A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of Rasmussen’s Encephalitis. It is a rare, chronic inflammatory neurological disease of unknown origin that usually affects only one hemisphere of the brain. It is common in children under the age of 10 with average age at disease onset around 6 years but uncommon in adults, adult variant that accounts for about 10% of the cases only. Rasmussen’s Encephalitis is characterized by intractable severe seizures, loss of motor skills and speech, paralysis on one side of the body (dysfunctions associated with the affected hemisphere). Our case is a 6 years old male, presented to emergency department with complaint of intractable severe seizures, progressive hemiparesis and deteriorated cognition followed by an episodes of encephalitis. His course of illness was focal seizures and right-sided weakness (hemiparesis) for 1 year. In addition to classical clinical presentation of Rasmussen’s Encephalitis. MRI brain showed gliotic area involving the left superior and middle frontal gyrus that supports diagnosis of Rasmussen’s Encephalitis