Mixed Clinical Response After Total Thyroidectomy in Two Patients with Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy

Hashimoto’s encephalopathy (HE) is a rare disorder first characterized by Brain et al. in 1966 [1]. With only a few hundred reported cases, its etiology is not entirely understood but is believed to be related to the autoimmune mechanism of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Generally, patients diagnosed with HE demonstrate a progressive encephalopathy in the setting of elevated antithyroid antibodies. They may display cognitive deterioration, seizures, stroke-like events, hallucinations, focal neurologic deficits or movement disorders, and a clinical response to corticosteroid therapy [2].