The role of PET/CT in the evaluation of patients affected by limbic encephalitis: A systematic review of the literature

• This Review presents the state-of-the art of PET/CT evaluation in the management of patients affected by Limbic Encephalitis.
• A detailed summary of the most common findings on PET/CT is provided, also with regard to the etiology.
• A comparison with MR findings is provided to make the reader aware of advantages and limitations of both techniques.
• The paper is a practical guide to the clinical Neurologist in order to program an effective diagnostic pathway.

Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE) is a rare disorder affecting the medial temporal lobe of the brain. Although brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) has been widely evaluated and is currently considered essential in the suspicion of LE, Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) has been demonstrated to be useful also in the evaluation of brain inflammatory diseases such as encephalitis.We therefore aim to review the current literature about the role of PET/CT in the evaluation of patients affected by LE.