Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) Associated With COVID-19 Infection—A Case Report and Review

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a large number of systemic complications including a variety of neurological complications. Some of the neurological complications are not known. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a known acute neurotoxic syndrome causing a wide range of neurological symptoms. If remains untreated, it can potentially become a life-threatening condition. However, it is not a known neurological complication of COVID-19. We describe a presentation of PRES in a patient with positive COVID-19 and presented with altered mental status. A 78-year-old male with history of idiopathic epilepsy was initially admitted with respiratory illness with negative COVID-19 test. Later during his hospitalization, his respiratory condition got worse and his repeat COVID-19 test came back positive. He had continued encephalopathy and was found to have status epilepticus afterward. Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain showed extensive PRES-related changes. His blood pressure remained overall within control without significant fluctuations. No other apparent etiology was identified for PRES except for possible correlation with COVID-19. Clinicians should consider PRES early in their differential diagnoses in patients with severe COVID-19 with continued encephalopathy.

Navigation-guided nasal endoscopic surgery for acute vision loss caused by fibrous dysplasia: a case report and review of literatures

Background Bone fibrous dysplasia is a benign disease of bone tissue dysplasia. Vision impairment is the commonest neurological complication of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia. Most of the vision loss caused by craniofacial fibrous dysplasia is usually a gradual process. Very few present with acute visual impairment as described in our case. Case presentation We report a patient with fibrous dysplasia presenting rapidly progressive visual loss in the left eye secondary to bone cyst formation. Transnasal endoscopic surgery guided by navigation with drainage and curettage of this bone cyst and orbital decompression resulted in progressive improvement in visual acuity that returned to normal 1 month post-operatively. Conclusions In cases with acute visual loss due to fibrous dysplasia, emergency surgical treatment should be considered to preserve vision. In the surgical approach, navigation-guided nasal endoscopic surgery may be preferred because of its advantages.

Conus myelitis associated with Covid 19 infection – a rare complication

Covid 19 pandemic has taken away millions of lives. Our understanding of this disease, till to date, is not complete. This disease has a wide variety of neurological manifestations. Acute transverse myelitis is one such rare neurological complication of Covid 19. The exact etiology is not clear. Auto immunity might be one of the possible mechanisms. We report a case of 39-year-old lady, who had recent history of high-grade fever and cough. This was followed by weakness of both legs and in- ability to pass urine. SARS-CoV-2 (PCR) from nasopharyngeal swab was positive. She was found to have features of acute non compressive myelopathy. MRI brain and MRI cervical spine with contrast was normal. MRI dorso lumbar spine with contrast was suggestive of diffuse hyper intensity of conus medullaris with contrast enhancement suggestive of conus myelitis. CSF analysis ruled out infection and autoimmune causes. She was pulsed with high dose steroids. There was some transient improvement in symptoms. Learning points: 1) Physicians should not consider Covid as a respiratory illness only. It can present with a variety of extra pulmonary manifestations. 2) Acute transverse myelitis is a rare complication of Covid 19 infection. Timely recognition and treatment can prevent permanent neurological damage and residual disability. 3) Conus myelitis might not present with classic upper motor neuron signs. Any new onset bladder dysfunction in a setting of a recent covid infection should be taken seriously and requires urgent imaging of the spine.

Candidate genes of the development of antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism in patients with schizophrenia

Antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism is an undesirable reaction from the extrapyramidal system that occurs against the background of taking antipsychotics (AP), more often in patients with schizophrenia. Antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism belongs to the group of secondary parkinsonism. Its prevalence in the world is about 36%. It is assumed that this undesirable AP reaction is genetically determined. In recent years, numerous associative genetic studies of predisposition to the development of antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism have been conducted. However, the research results are contradictory.Purpose. Review of the results of studies of genetic predictors of antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism in patients with schizophrenia.Materials and methods. We searched for full-text publications in Russian and English in the RSCI, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer databases using keywords and combined searches for words over the past decade.Results. The review considers candidate genes encoding proteins/enzymes involved in the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of AP. We analyzed 23 genome-wide studies examining 108 genetic variations, including SNV/polymorphisms of 26 candidate genes involved in the development of AIP in schizophrenic patients. Among such a set of obtained results, only 22 positive associations were revealed: rs1799732 (141CIns/Del), rs1800497 (C/T), rs6275 (C/T) DRD2; rs167771 (G/A) DRD3; VNTR*9R DAT1; rs4680 (G/A) СOMT; rs6311 (C/T) 5HTR2A; rs6318 (C/G), rs3813929 (С/Т), haplotype-997G, -759C, -697C и 68G HTR2C; rs2179652 (C/T), rs2746073 (T/A), rs4606 (C/G), rs1152746 (A/G), rs1819741 (С/Т), rs1933695 (G/A), haplotype rs1933695-G, rs2179652-C, rs4606-C, rs1819741-T и rs1152746-G, haplotype rs1933695-G, rs2179652-T, rs4606-G, rs1819741-C и rs1152746-A RGS2; haplotype TCCTC ADORA2A; rs4795390 (C/G) PPP1R1B; rs6265 (G/A) BDNF; rs12678719 (C/G) ZFPM2; rs938112 (C/A) LSMAP; rs2987902 (A/T) ABL1; HLA-B44; rs16947 (A/G), rs1135824 (A/G), rs3892097 (A/G), rs28371733 (A/G), rs5030867 (A/C), rs5030865 (A/C), rs1065852 (C/T), rs5030863 (C/G), rs5030862 (A/G), rs28371706 (C/T), rs28371725 (A/G), rs1080983 (A/G) CYP2D6. However, at the present time it should be recognized that there is no final or unique decision about the leading role of any particular SNV/polymorphism in the development of AIP.Conclusion. Disclosure of genetic predictors of AP-induced parkinsonism development may provide a key to the development of a strategy for personalized prevention and treatment of the neurological complication of AP-therapy of schizophrenia in real clinical practice.

Cerebrovascular Accident Complicating Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Nigerian Adolescent: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a rare neurological complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in the paediatric population. The risk of developing CVA in DKA patients is often increased due to abnormalities in coagulation factors, platelet activation, blood volume and flow, and vascular reactivity. Cerebral oedema, the most common neurological complication of DKA, may also predispose to CVA. We report the case of a -12-year-old adolescent with DKA complicated by CVA. She developed features of right hemispheric CVA while on admission and had radiological confirmation of an ischaemic CVA. This report highlights that cerebrovascular accidents in DKA can easily be missed or confused with cerebral oedema.

Small Fiber Neuropathy in Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis (SC) is a granulomatous disease of an unknown origin. The most common SC-related neurological complication is a small fiber neuropathy (SFN) that is often considered to be the result of chronic inflammation and remains significantly understudied. This study aimed to identify the clinical and histological correlates of small fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis patients. The study was performed in 2018–2019 yy and included 50 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis (n = 25) and healthy subjects (n = 25). For the clinical verification of the SFN, the “Small Fiber Neuropathy Screening List” (SFN-SL) was used. A punch biopsy of the skin was performed followed by enzyme immunoassay analysis with PGP 9.5 antibodies. Up to 60% of the sarcoidosis patients reported the presence of at least one complaint, and it was possible that these complaints were associated with SFN. The most frequent complaints included dysfunctions of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems and the gastrointestinal tract. A negative, statistically significant correlation between the intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IEND) and SFN-SL score was revealed. In patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, small fiber neuropathy might develop as a result of systemic immune-mediated inflammation. The most common symptoms of this complication were dysautonomia and mild sensory dysfunction.

The Epidemiology of Neurological Complications in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Risk factors for neurological complications in sickle cell disease differ in the adult and pediatric populations. Here, we focused on neurological complications in adults with sickle cell disease.Methods: Patients were selected using the audit data from the St George's Hospital Red Cell Database. The genotyping, demographics, clinical data, and investigation findings were collected.Results: A total of 303 patients were enrolled in the study: hemoglobin S homozygosity (HbSS) genotype 56%, hemoglobin S and C coinheritance (HbSC) genotype 35%, and hemoglobin S and β-thalassemia coinheritance (HbSβ) thalassemia genotype 9%; the mean age was 38.8 years (±13.5 SD) with 46% males. The most common neurological complication was cerebrovascular disease (n = 37, 12%) including those with ischemic stroke (10%), cerebral vasculopathy (3%), and intracranial hemorrhage (1%). Ischemic stroke was common among the HbSS genotype compared with other genotypes (8 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.001). Comparing the patients with sickle cell disease who had suffered a stroke to those who had not, there was a higher proportion of intracranial vasculopathy (p = 0.001, in particular, Moyamoya) and cognitive dysfunction (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Our cohort supports previous reports that the most common neurological complication in adult sickle cell patients is cerebrovascular disease. Strategies to prevent cerebral vasculopathy and cognitive impairment should be explored.

Characteristics of COVID and post COVID polyneuropathies in adults and pediatrics: an Egyptian sample

Background The aim of this study is to describe the different forms of polyneuropathy associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a secondary neurological complication for (COVID-19) and the outcome from different therapeutic regimens in adults and pediatrics in first and second waves of the pandemic. Case presentation This study was conducted on 42 patients, they were divided into two groups, group (A) and group (B) in first and second waves respectively. Twenty-five patients presented by ascending weakness preceded by fever, dry cough and respiratory distress, electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction (NC) studies done and confirmed the clinical diagnosis of demyelinating polyneuropathy. Eight patients presented by acute flaccid quadriparesis, more severe in upper limbs preceded by fever and diarrhea diagnosed as acute axonal polyneuropathy. Five patients presented by severe fatigue and progressive weakness of both lower and upper limbs, they developed fever and cough 10 days after the neurological symptoms. EMG and NC done and confirmed clinical diagnosis of polyneuropathy of demyelinating with secondary axonal picture. Four patients presented 30 to 40 days after their recovery form corona virus infection with gradual progressive weakness of both upper and lower limbs over 2 to 3 months duration, mainly the proximal muscles of lower limbs were affected with areflexia. EMG and NC done and confirmed the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Conclusion We should gain a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and therapeutic options of polyneuropathies related to COVID-19, which will have an impact on the treatment of the COVID related respiratory failure presenting with neuropathy.