Experience with immunomodulatory treatments in Rasmussen's encephalitis.

The authors investigated immunomodulatory treatments in 15 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) (14 with childhood and one with adolescent onset RE). Positive time-limited responses were obtained in 11 patients using variable combinations of corticosteroids, apheresis, and high-dose IV immunoglobulins. Although surgical exclusion of the affected hemisphere is the only treatment that halts disease progression, immunomodulation can be considered when early surgery is not feasible, in late-onset patients with slower disease progression, and in the few cases of bilateral disease.