12‑year‑old Francesca saved after rare autoimmune encephalopathy in Italy

A 12‑year‑old girl, Francesca, was hospitalized in March with a severe autoimmune encephalopathy that caused rapid brain swelling, loss of speech and right‑side weakness. Doctors at the Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza performed an emergency decompressive craniectomy to relieve intracranial pressure, followed by high‑dose immunoglobulin and cortisone therapy. After two months in intensive care, she was transferred to the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome for skull reconstruction and rehabilitation. Both the medical team, led by intensive‑care director Andrea Bruni, and Francesca’s family praised the coordinated effort and described the case as a “bright page for Italian health care.”

The successful treatment highlights the capability of regional hospitals in Calabria to manage complex neurological emergencies through multidisciplinary collaboration and links with national referral centers.