Important differential in a patient presenting with neuropsychiatric symptoms: Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an immune mediated condition, which remains relatively unknown in Malaysia outside tertiary hospitals with neurology unit. It is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric illness before definitive treatment is instituted. We report here an 18-year-old man who initially presented to the psychiatry unit before he was subsequently diagnosed as having anti-NMDAR encephalitis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.