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Case Reports
. 2025;13(2):2023-2207.
doi: 10.22038/aojnmb.2025.84963.1606.

2-[18F]-FDG PET/CT in rasmussen encephalitis: guiding diagnosis and treatment in a young adult with sudden onset

Mattoli Maria Vittoria  1 , Francesca Serani  2 , Stefano L Sensi  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

2-[18F]-FDG PET/CT in rasmussen encephalitis: guiding diagnosis and treatment in a young adult with sudden onset

Mattoli Maria Vittoria et al. Asia Ocean J Nucl Med Biol. 2025.

Abstract

Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) is a rare condition characterized by a chronic inflammatory disorder due to unilateral inflammation of the cerebral cortex. Typically, it involves one cerebral hemisphere and manifests through intractable epileptic seizures. Its occurrence in adults is infrequent. We present a case of a 28-year-old woman who was brought to the emergency room due to the sudden onset of uncontrolled seizures. The use of 2-[18F]-FDG PET/CT (FDG-PET) helped in the differential diagnosis between autoimmune seronegative encephalitis and Rasmussen encephalitis. Even though FDG-PET is not a mandatory diagnostic criterion in the clinical evaluation of RE patients, the presented case and the available literature suggest its usefulness as a valuable diagnostic tool in patients with uncertain diagnosis, emphasizing its potential as a reliable adjunct in challenging diagnostic scenarios and for patient follow-up.

Keywords: Cerebral FDG PET Autoimmune Encephalitis; Neuroimaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
FDG-PET images with transaxial image: from the left upper corner in the upper row a diffuse unilateral hypometabolism in the left frontal lobe is showed. This pattern becomes more evident in the second row where the hypometabolism in the insular lobe and moderate hypometabolism in the left temporal lobe can be seen. At the bottom right corner, crossed cerebellar diaschisis is evident
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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