Teratoma's "Crazy" Side: The "Brain on Fire"

Historically a range of psychiatric and medical conditions have been erroneously attributed to 2 gynecological organs/function. During the time of Hippocrates, the “wandering womb” theory blamed emotional disturbances in women on this condition. Not only was that erroneous, it was nonsensical. However, certain gynecological conditions can indeed manifest with neuro-behavioral disturbances. One of these syndromes can be triggered by the presence of an ovarian dermoid. Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) encephalitis is a paraneoplastic limbic syndrome which may be caused by ovarian teratomas containing neural components. Neural tissue in a teratoma can trigger the production of anti-NMDA-R antibodies, which causes neuronal dysfunction and loss by altering the neuronal cell-surface NMDA receptors in the limbic system. This syndrome presents with a range of psychiatric, neurological and autonomic features and if not promptly recognized and treated may be associated with long-term morbidity and mortality. Rare…yes. But it is out there in the community and patients are at HIGH risk of misdiagnosis. In this episode we will discuss this “Brain on Fire” syndrome and highlight a real case contributed by one of our podcast family members (HIPPA protected).