scholarly journals Atypical Manifestation of Polyneuropathy in Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayara de Lima Froio ◽  
Ana Luisa Rosas Sarmento ◽  
Sonia Maria Cesar de Azevedo Silva ◽  
Lilia Azzi Collet da Rocha Camargo

Context: Neurological manifestations of Sars-CoV-2 are progressively emerging. Cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and its variants, with onset about 5-10 days after influenza symptoms, have been described. This paper reports a case of polyneuropathy with onset 90 days after a sore throat episode and persistence of IgM positivity in serology for Sars- Cov-2. We aim to raise awareness of this possibility. Case Report: A 56-year-old male, hypertensive, presented with sore throat on April 21, 2020. Serology for Covid-19 was performed with positive IgM. There was complete improvement of the symptom. At the end of July, he started a symmetrical paresthesia in the feet with ascension to the knees and, on August 20, paresthesia in the hands too. So, he went to IAMSPE (SP) and tactile and painful hypoesthesia in hands and feet, hypopalesthesia in lower limbs, a fall in the lower limbs upon Mingazzini’s maneuver, global hyporeflexia and talon gait were found. Just the following tests were changed: second Covid-19 serology IgM and IgG positives; ENMG: sensory motor polyneuropathy, primarily axonal, with signs of chronicity and without signs of acute denervation in the current. Started gabapentin and physical therapy. Patient still has paresthesia in hands and feet, but with partial improvement. Conclusion: This case alerts to neurological symptoms of Covid-19 in the medium and long term.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Rutter-Locher ◽  
Bhashkar Mukherjee ◽  
Thomas Mason ◽  
Begona Lopez

Abstract Case report - Introduction By June 2020, 175,000 cases of COVID-19 had been identified in London alone. The most common symptoms include fever, headache, loss of smell, cough, myalgia, and sore throat. The major complication is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) but systemic complications such as cardiomyopathy, acute kidney injury, encephalopathy and coagulopathy are being identified. A delayed multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children has also been recognised and further complications are likely to be identified as our experience increases. Here, we report the case of a patient with large vessel vasculitis who initially presented with symptoms highly likely to be due to COVID-19 infection. Case report - Case description A 36-year-old black African nurse presented in May 2020, with acute onset 7 days prior of high-grade fevers, rigors, nights sweats, generalised myalgia, sore throat, headache with photophobia, anosmia, dysgeusia and a widespread rash. She was a smoker with no other relevant medical, travel nor sexual history, and no drug use. A COVID-19 swab on day 2 had been negative and she had taken a course of Doxycycline. Examination revealed firm palpable subcutaneous nodules on lower limbs, upper back and forehead and cervical lymphadenopathy. She was photophobic with no meningism. The rest of her physical examination was normal. BP was 116/97 mmHg, heart rate 109 bpm and satO2 100%. Investigations demonstrated C-reactive protein 330mg/L, erythrocyte sedimentation rate 140, Ferritin 479, lymphopaenia 0.7x109, eGFR 54 with no haematoproteinuria, D-dimer 3.05 mg/L with INR 1.1, aPTT 1.3, fibrinogen 8.8 g/L. Hb, WCC, liver function, CK, serum ACE and triglycerides were normal. Infectious screen revealed negative blood cultures, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, EBV, CMV and Treponema pallidum serology. CT brain and CSF analysis were normal including bacterial culture and viral PCR. ANA, ENA, dsDNA, ANCA and aPL antibodies were negative with normal complement levels. Throat swab grew group A streptococcus and she was treated with broad spectrum antibiotics for 7 days maintaining fevers up to 39oC. Skin biopsy was non-specific with negative direct immunofluorescence but showed microvascular thrombi in the papillary dermis. COVID-19 PCR tests (three naso-pharyngeal swabs and one stool PCR) and IgG test (day 38) were negative. CT showed no pneumonitis but non-specific retroperitoneal stranding with medium/large vessel vasculitis involving both proximal renal arteries and a 6 cm segment of mid abdominal aorta on PET-CT. We started oral prednisolone 40mg with immediate resolution of her fevers, myalgia, and inflammatory markers, remaining well a month later. Case report - Discussion Takayasu’s arteritis is the most common autoimmune large vessel vasculitis (LVV) affecting young females and involves inflammation of the arterial wall ultimately resulting in stenosis and obstruction of the vessel. However, it is rare in patients with African heritage and usually presents with a prolonged prodromal phase. Given the atypical presentation and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection we feel that this patients’ LVV may have been a complication of COVID-19 infection. The relationship between infections and vasculitis is complex. TB and syphilis cause aortitis and a relationship between infection and vasculitis has been proven in HBV associated PAN and HCV associated cryoglobulinemia. Experimental data supports a possible association between CMV and herpes virus and Takayasu arteritis. It could, therefore, be hypothesised that COVID-19 infection can trigger LVV. Our patient had a throat swab positive for Streptococcus pyogenes which is an uncommon cause of infective endocarditis and mycotic aneurism, but this patient had no evidence of either endocarditis or aneurism formation and so it was felt the throat swab finding was incidental. Our patient had repeated negative COVID-19 nasopharyngeal swabs and a negative antibody test at day 38. Although this argues against a diagnosis of COVID-19 related illness, the relative lack of information we currently have regarding sensitivities of the tests, at what point COVID-19 PCR becomes negative in the illness and when/if patients develop antibodies, means these negative tests in the presence of typical symptoms cannot exclude the diagnosis. We believe this case is extremely important to highlight a possible novel inflammatory complication of COVID-19 infection. We decided to treat this patient in line with guidance for the management of LVV, including the introduction of methotrexate, but it will be interesting to observe her long-term outcome. Case report - Key learning points  Increasing numbers of COVID-19 related systemic inflammatory conditions are likely to be recognised over the coming months. We present the case of patient with large vessel vasculitis who initially presented atypically with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infectionTo identify these complications, COVID-19 symptoms questioning should be part of any routine medical historyMore information is required regarding the sensitivity of COVID-19 PCR and antibody tests to aid the diagnosis of these conditionsThe long-term management of inflammatory conditions associated with COVID-19 infection is not clear and a discussion is warranted as to whether DMARDs should be initiated


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Bendersky ◽  
Lucas Alessandro ◽  
Franco Appiani ◽  
Brenda Borrego Guerrero ◽  
Patricia Cairola ◽  
...  

COVID-19 disease has spread around the world since December 2019. Neurological symptoms are part of its clinical spectrum. Objective: To know the neurological manifestations in patients infected by COVID-19 in Argentina. Methods: Multicenter study conducted in adults, from May 2020 to January 2021, with confirmed COVID-19 and neurological symptoms. Demographic variables, existence of systemic or neurological comorbidities, the form of onset of the infection, alteration in complementary studies and the degree of severity of neurological symptoms were recorded. Results: 817 patients from all over the country were included, 52% male, mean age 38 years, most of them without comorbidities or previous neurological pathology. The first symptom of the infection was neurological in 56.2% of the cases, predominantly headache (69%), then anosmia / ageusia (66%). Myalgias (52%), allodynia / hyperalgesia (18%), and asthenia (6%) were also reported. 3.2% showed diffuse CNS involvement such as encephalopathy or seizures. 1.7% had cerebrovascular complications. Sleep disorders were observed in 3.2%. 6 patients were reported with Guillain Barre (GBS), peripheral neuropathy (3.4%), tongue paresthesia (0.6%), hearing loss (0.4%), plexopathy (0.3%). The severity of neurological symptoms was correlated with age and the existence of comorbidities. Conclusions: Our results, similar to those of other countries, show two types of neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19: some potentially disabling or fatal such as GBS or encephalitis, and others less devastating, but more frequent such as headache or anosmia that demand increasingly long-term care.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (8) ◽  
pp. 1078-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa M Steffen ◽  
Bradley F Boeve ◽  
Louise A Mollinger-Riemann ◽  
Cheryl M Petersen

Background and Purpose: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are slowly progressive tauopathies characterized by impaired balance, disturbances in gait, and frequent falls, among other features. Wheelchair dependence is an inevitable outcome in people with these disorders. Insufficient evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of exercise in the management of people with these disorders. This case report describes a program of exercise and long-term locomotor training, using a treadmill (both with and without body-weight support), to reduce falls and improve the balance and walking ability of a patient with mixed PSP and CBD features. Case Description: Six years after diagnosis with mixed PSP and CBD features, the client, a 72-year-old dentist, was seen for physical therapy for asymmetric limb apraxia, markedly impaired balance, and frequent falls during transitional movements. Intervention: Over a 2.5-year period, intervention included routine participation in an exercise group for people with Parkinson disease (mat exercise and treadmill training) and intermittent participation in individual locomotor training on a treadmill. The exercise group met for 1 hour, twice weekly. The individual treadmill sessions lasted 1 hour, once weekly, for two 14-week periods during the follow-up period. Outcomes: Over the 2.5-year period, fall frequency decreased, and tests of functional balance showed improved limits of stability (functional reach tests) and maintained balance function (Berg Balance Scale). Tests of walking performance showed only slight declines. A 4-wheeled walker was introduced and accepted by the client early in the intervention period. The client, with supervision, remained ambulatory with this wheeled walker in the community. Discussion: In this case report of a person with mixed PSP and CBD features, a physical therapy intervention, which included locomotor training using a treadmill and a long-term exercise program of stretching and strengthening, appears to have improved some dimensions of balance, slowed the rate of gait decline, prevented progression to wheelchair dependence, and decreased falls. Contrary to the expected decline in function, this client maintained independent mobility over a 2.5-year period. An ongoing, intensive program of exercise and locomotor training may help people with PSP and CBD maintain upright balance, decrease falls, and decrease the rate of decline of ambulation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Shakti A. Goel ◽  
Hitesh N. Modi ◽  
Yatin J. Desai ◽  
Harshal P. Thaker

Pheohyphomycosis is an uncommon infection and its association in spondylodiscitis has not yet been reported. The purpose of this case report is to describe a rare case of Pheohyphomycotic spondylodiscitis and methods to diagnose and manage the patient with less invasive techniques. A 29-year-old male patient presented to the outpatient department with complaints of gradually increasing low back pain with bilateral lower limbs radicular pain since one and a half years. He had associated fever, weight loss, voice changes, and dry, scaly, erythematous skin with elevated ESR. The patient had been taking anti-Koch’s therapy since 1 year with little relief in pain and no radiological improvement. Percutaneous pedicle biopsy of L4 vertebra was taken under local anaesthesia and confirmed Pheohyphomycosis which was treated with antifungal medications. The patient showed sequential improvement with long term antifungal treatment. He was eventually able to walk independently without support.


Author(s):  
Ravindra S. Lanke ◽  
Ulhas J. Dudhekar ◽  
Girish B. Mote ◽  
Chandrashekhar M. Badole

A journey of a young man started from day one in the hospital. When he came with the traumatic paraplegia, no doubt a paraplegic has to face a lot of challenges in his life when he came to know that his both legs are not working. He became bedridden and his moral is also become down for his future planning. But we accept the challenge, a team work by an orthopaedician and a physio-occupational therapist make it little easier. Postoperatively we prefer to offer rehabilitation through community base programme. Inspiration of hospital environment and equipment are going to help him for such kind of programme he accepts the challenge, basic aim of providing this programme is to reduce duration as well as incurred monitor losses. Special attraction of this case report is homemade bicycle, which served the purpose of providing repetitive rhythmic mobilisation of bilateral lower limbs which facilitates normal pattern of ambulation. Now he is ambulatory and goes back to his work. So, a person with spinal cord injury involved with their community with a little modification in his activity and equipment is worth for him. Traumatic paraplegia offers a big challenge to physio- occupational therapist due to long term recovery it takes.  For Such patients on regular follow up till complete recovery, we preferred community based rehabilitation. This made him independent and incurred reduced monitory losses.


Author(s):  
Hernández Ramos, F J, PhD, MD ◽  
Hernández Chamorro, F J, ◽  
Palomino García, A ◽  
Jiménez Hernández, MD

We´re witnessing a pandemic due to COVID-19, which has generated a strong impact in Public Health, Health Services and a economic level, still to be determinated. It´s a recently discovered respiratory virus that has the capacity to produce neurological symptoms, either indirectly o directly. Much has been written about neurological symptoms, mainly by no-neurologist, and the frecuency and type of neurological manifestations must be precisely defined in both, acute and medium-long term phases. After carrying out and extensive bibliographic review, the objective of this paper is to analyze what has been described so far and how it can be improved to know exactly the type and frecuency of neurological manifestations related to COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Pilotto ◽  
Viviana Cristillo ◽  
Stefano Cotti Piccinelli ◽  
Nicola Zoppi ◽  
Giulio Bonzi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundPreclinical and clinical investigations have argued for nervous system involvement in SARS-CoV-2 infection and for long term sequalae including neurological manifestationsMethodsa sample of 208 previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 165 patients were re-assessed at 6 months according to a structured standardized clinical protocol. Premorbid comorbidities and clinical status, severity of COVID-19 disease, complications during and after hospitalization were recorded.ResultsAt 6-month follow-up after hospitalisation due to COVID-19 disease, patients displayed a wide array of neurological symptoms, being fatigue (34%), memory/attention (31%), and sleep disorders (30%) the most frequent. Subjects reporting neurological symptoms were affected by more severe respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection parameters during hospitalisation. At neurological examination, 37.4% of patients exhibited neurological abnormalities, being cognitive deficits (17.5%), hyposmia (15.7%) and postural tremor (13.8%) the most common. Patients with cognitive deficits at follow-up were comparable for age, sex and pre-admission comorbidities but experienced worse respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection disease and longer hospitalisation.Conclusionslong term neurological manifestations after hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection affects one third of survivors. Multiple neurological abnormalities including mild cognitive impairment are associated with severity of respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (05) ◽  
pp. 5366-5369
Author(s):  
Inklebarger James ◽  
Zahid SK

Madelung disease is a rare, metabolic, malignancy-associated and disfiguring condition of unknown etiology, characterized by potentially debilitating neurological, cardiopulmonary, gastric, musculoskeletal and psycho-social complications. Also known as multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL), Benign Lipomatosis (BSL), and Launois-Bensaude syndrome, MSL is characterized by the symmetrical growth of subcutaneous non-encapsulated fat deposits, usually around the neck, but in some cases also around shoulders, the upper trunk, chest and limbs, and hip girdle. These abnormal fat deposits may rapidly grow over a few months or slowly enlarge over several years. Expanding fatty deformations may be disabling, have disfiguring aesthetic consequences, and infiltrate or compress adjacent vital structures. This case illustrates that painful, massive growths may also occur around the knees, re-grow post excision, and present with compressive neurological symptoms necessitating further surgical interventions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeya Ummur ◽  
Kirsty Levasseur ◽  
Yee Suh Tee ◽  
Benjamin Fisher

Abstract Case report - Introduction Primary Sjögren’s syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting the exocrine glands, commonly resulting in dryness of mouth and eyes. It can also rarely present with neurological symptoms most commonly peripheral neuropathies. The case highlights a rare case of sensory and motor neuropathy with some features suggestive of Sjögren’s syndrome as an underlying diagnosis. Case report - Case description A 54-year-old Caucasian lady was transferred from a local hospital for specialist neurology care. She described widespread paraesthesia over two months progressing to lower limb weakness worsening over a two-day period. Her symptoms further progressed to involve her arms and new blurred vision. On further questioning she reported previous severe mouth ulcers, possible genital ulcers and painful jaw swelling with long standing history of dry mouth. On thorough neurological examination, the positive findings were mild ptosis of the right eye, paraesthesia on palpation of face, upper limbs had a flaccid tone with reduced power and pseudoathetosis of outstretched arms, reduced proprioception, and absent reflexes. Lower limbs were more affected with worse power and absent proprioception. Schirmer’s test showed normal tear production but saliva production was reduced. MRI brain and spine were reported as pathological enhancement in both optic nerves, no obvious brain parenchymal abnormality, no obvious spinal cord abnormality. Lumbar puncture CSF pro 0.38, white cells 12 (poly 50%, mono 50%), red cells 3700, no organisms on gram stain, opening pressure 21.5 cmH2O. Sural nerve biopsy demonstrated profound loss of sensory axons, severe loss of large myelinated fibres in all fascicles with motor nerve involvement. Muscle biopsy demonstrated chronic neurogenic atrophy. Rheumatology screen showed positive anti Ro 52 antibodies (on an extended myositis screen). EMG demonstrated neurophysiological evidence of widespread marked loss of sensory axons in the upper and lower limbs and partial loss of motor axons in several lower limb territories. USS parotid glands showed some possibly mildly abnormal areas, minor salivary gland biopsy was normal. She received methylprednisolone, IV immunoglobulin and two courses of plasma exchange. Given some improvement following this treatment, further immunosuppression was felt to be appropriate. Initially Mycofenolate mofetil was started and Rituximab is now being considered. Case report - Discussion This case demonstrates a mixed neuropathy picture. Following thorough investigations, many differential diagnoses of mixed neuropathy were considered and excluded (e.g. Guillain Barre, Syphilis, MS, HIV, Hepatitis). Neurological symptoms can develop before the onset of sicca symptoms in Sjögren’s syndrome. With a positive Anti Ro52, xerostomia and clinical improvement with methylprednisolone and plasmaphereses it seems likely there is an underlying autoimmune diagnosis in this case and despite a normal biopsy she would meet the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for Sjögren’s syndrome. Case report - Key learning points Sjögren’s syndrome should be considered as a potential underlying cause in patients with a sensory ganglionopathy. Neurological symptoms can develop before the onset of sicca symptoms in Sjögren’s syndrome.


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