Treatment for 14-year-old girl with rare disease, family thought she was 'possessed'

A 14-year-old girl whose family thought she was "possessed" was treated at Gia Dinh People's Hospital - Photo: Provided by the hospital

On the afternoon of March 21, according to information from Gia Dinh People's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, this hospital has just treated a 14-year-old girl named NMT, residing in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, who has a rare disease that her family thought was "possessed by a ghost".

Previously, on February 22, T.'s family took him to Gia Dinh People's Hospital because he had auditory hallucinations, insomnia, and cognitive and language disorders.

Five days before being hospitalized, T. suddenly fainted in class, then regained consciousness and resumed normal activities. However, he had unusual gestures and actions such as crying alone, laughing at night, and speaking uncontrollably.

When T. told her that she heard someone's voice, the child's mother was extremely worried and thought that her child was "possessed" so she planned to invite a shaman to her house to perform a spell on the child.

However, after searching the internet for information about baby T's strange symptoms, the family decided to take the baby to Gia Dinh People's Hospital for treatment.

At the hospital, baby T. was noted to have disorientation about time, space and the ability to perform simple calculations, language disorder accompanied by sleep disorder and auditory hallucinations.

The baby was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis with positive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antibodies.

This is a rare disease in children and is easily overlooked or misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder.

After more than 2 weeks of intensive, comprehensive treatment under the coordination of the neurology and pediatric departments at Gia Dinh People's Hospital, baby T's condition has improved. On March 11, the baby was discharged from the hospital to go home.

On the morning of March 18, baby T. returned to the pediatric department for a follow-up appointment. At this time, the baby's cognitive and communication abilities had gradually improved. The baby's mother said that the baby slept well at night and no longer talked to himself.

These symptoms show that the recovery signs in baby T. are starting to show results as the treatment regimen for autoimmune encephalitis.

Autoimmune encephalitis is common in girls and women.

Autoimmune encephalitis is a rare, serious neurological disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks healthy nerve cells, causing brain inflammation.

The disease often begins with psychiatric symptoms such as auditory hallucinations, delusions, anxiety or behavioral changes that many people mistake for signs of schizophrenia or other psychological disorders.

"Autoimmune encephalitis is a disease with complex progression and the potential to affect life if not treated promptly. The disease is common in women, young people and is easily confused with mental disorders, leading to ineffective treatment and prolonged treatment time.

In addition, many cases are mistaken and seek out counter-medical treatment methods for this disease, which will delay the treatment regimen later on," said Dr. Vo Van Tan, head of the Department of Neurology at Gia Dinh People's Hospital.

Dr. Pham Thi Hoang Oanh, deputy head of the pediatrics department at Gia Dinh People's Hospital, advises parents that when they see their children showing abnormal neurological symptoms such as mental disorders, cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders or sleep disorders, they should take their children to specialized medical facilities for timely examination and treatment.

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THUY DUONG