Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature
The current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global health crisis. The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to critical illness affecting almost every organ including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Myoclonus, a less expected and relativel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMC MEDIA SRL
2021-05-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/2531 |
| _version_ | 1818672234956324864 |
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| author | Nadia Mariagrazia Giannantoni Elia Rigamonti Francesca Irene Rampolli Lorenzo Grazioli-Gauthier Gilles Allali Gianluca Vanini |
| author_facet | Nadia Mariagrazia Giannantoni Elia Rigamonti Francesca Irene Rampolli Lorenzo Grazioli-Gauthier Gilles Allali Gianluca Vanini |
| author_sort | Nadia Mariagrazia Giannantoni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global health crisis. The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to critical illness affecting almost every organ including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Myoclonus, a less expected and relatively unusual neurological complication, together with ataxia, has lately been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We describe the case of a 67-year-old male patient, admitted to our hospital for interstitial bilateral pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, who progressively developed general myoclonus and later cerebellar ataxia and gait disturbance. Given the timeline from COVID-19 systemic symptoms to neurological manifestations and the normal results of extensive and non-conclusive diagnostic work-up (blood test, lumbar puncture, EEG, cerebral MRI), a para-infectious encephalopathy related to SARS-CoV-2 was contemplated and a high dose of methylprednisolone was started with prompt symptom improvement.
Further investigation and neuroepidemiological studies are needed to help define the mechanism of neuroinvasion and the entire spectrum of neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in mildly affected patients, in terms of prevention, treatment and possible neurological sequelae. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:36:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1799d222d4b0466cb5b5191e9d7383a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2284-2594 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T07:36:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | SMC MEDIA SRL |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-1799d222d4b0466cb5b5191e9d7383a62022-12-21T21:58:17ZengSMC MEDIA SRLEuropean Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine2284-25942021-05-0110.12890/2021_0025312147Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the LiteratureNadia Mariagrazia Giannantoni0Elia Rigamonti1Francesca Irene RampolliLorenzo Grazioli-Gauthier2Gilles Allali3Gianluca Vanini4Department of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, SwitzerlandDepartment of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, SwitzerlandDepartment of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, SwitzerlandDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, SwitzerlandThe current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global health crisis. The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to critical illness affecting almost every organ including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Myoclonus, a less expected and relatively unusual neurological complication, together with ataxia, has lately been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We describe the case of a 67-year-old male patient, admitted to our hospital for interstitial bilateral pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, who progressively developed general myoclonus and later cerebellar ataxia and gait disturbance. Given the timeline from COVID-19 systemic symptoms to neurological manifestations and the normal results of extensive and non-conclusive diagnostic work-up (blood test, lumbar puncture, EEG, cerebral MRI), a para-infectious encephalopathy related to SARS-CoV-2 was contemplated and a high dose of methylprednisolone was started with prompt symptom improvement. Further investigation and neuroepidemiological studies are needed to help define the mechanism of neuroinvasion and the entire spectrum of neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in mildly affected patients, in terms of prevention, treatment and possible neurological sequelae.https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/2531sars-cov-2 infectionmyoclonusataxiadifferential diagnoses |
| spellingShingle | Nadia Mariagrazia Giannantoni Elia Rigamonti Francesca Irene Rampolli Lorenzo Grazioli-Gauthier Gilles Allali Gianluca Vanini Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine sars-cov-2 infection myoclonus ataxia differential diagnoses |
| title | Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_full | Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_fullStr | Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_short | Myoclonus and Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_sort | myoclonus and cerebellar ataxia associated with sars cov 2 infection case report and review of the literature |
| topic | sars-cov-2 infection myoclonus ataxia differential diagnoses |
| url | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/2531 |
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