Palatal tremor, focal seizures, repeated miscarriages and elevated anti-thyroid antibodies

Abstract

Neurological manifestations of thyroid autoimmunity are heterogeneous and nonspecific. The most frequently adopted name for this entity is Hashimoto's encephalopathy although this eponym has been recently contested. In the absence of specific clinical features, diagnosis is suggested by the presence of elevated levels of anti-thyroid antibodies in the appropriate clinical context. We describe a patient with recurrent focal seizures, palatal tremor and elevated anti-thyroid antibodies but no encephalopathy. Her past medical history was marked by recurrent miscarriages. The markedly elevated thyroid antibodies, the temporal relationship between neurological symptoms and hypothyroidism, and the absence of another explanation to her symptoms suggest a causal role of thyroid autoimmunity. In the clinical setting of recurrent spontaneous miscarriages, elevated levels of anti-thyroid antibodies and neurological deficits not attributed to another disease entity, Hashimoto's encephalopathy should be suspected.