[Autoimmune encephalitis in intensive care medicine : Differentiation from infectious encephalitis].

Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) is a relatively new group within the spectrum of encephalitic diseases. Awareness and the pathophysiological understanding of these conditions are increasing. They are also gaining importance in the field of intensive care medicine as severe cases are frequently accompanied by unconsciousness, epileptic seizures up to treatment-refractory status epilepticus, autonomic dysregulation and the need for mechanical ventilation. A major challenge is the early differentiation between autoimmune and infectious encephalitides as symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid findings and changes in imaging examinations can often appear similar. While infectious encephalitis requires rapid anti-infective therapy, autoimmune forms necessitate early initiation of immunotherapy. Delays in commencing treatment worsen the prognosis. This article addresses the diagnostic criteria, antibody diagnostics, complications in intensive care settings and current immunotherapies.