Higher incidence of acute symptomatic seizures in probable antibody-negative pediatric autoimmune encephalitis than in major antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis

To delineate the characteristics of probable antibody-negative pediatric autoimmune encephalitis (probable Ab-negative AE), we compared the clinical features of probable Ab-negative AE to those of major antibody-positive AE. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features of 18 patients with probable Ab-negative AE, 13 with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE), and 13 with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). Clinical characteristics, neuroimaging findings, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. The age of onset and length of hospital stay were significantly higher in the NMDARE group than in the other groups ( = 0.02 and