1. Clinical description of the broad range of neurological presentations of COVID-19: A retrospective case series
- Author
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M.-B. Matignon, Q.T.R. Nguyen, Katia Youssov, A.-L. Scain, Slim Fourati, A. Dormeuil, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Constance Guillaud, Abdenour Djellaoui, Mehdi Khellaf, H. Guillet, Anne-Catherine Bachoud-Lévi, N. Saada, S. Gallien, Blanche Bapst, Lilia Seddik, Thierry Gendre, W. Vindrios, P. Brugieres, H. Salhi, L. Rostain, E. Kalsoum, Gilles Fénelon, Jihene Abdelhedi, J. Oniszczuk, Giovanna Melica, Aimée Petit, Hassan Hosseini, G. Dubos-Lascu, Samar S. Ayache, L. Cleret de Langavant, Abir Wahab, T. Tuilier, Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur, L. Lim, R. Esser, Laura Fechtenbaum, Benjamin Bardel, and Frederique Faugeras
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paris ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Encephalopathy ,Clinical Neurology ,Neurological disorder ,pulmonary function tests ,Article ,Pulmonary function testing ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Young adult ,Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ,phrenic nerve conduction ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,Aged, 80 and over ,diaphragmatic ultrasonography ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Medical record ,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ,COVID-19 ,Retrospective cohort study ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Neurology ,Female ,Neurology (clinical) ,Nervous System Diseases ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Encephalitis - Abstract
Background Neurological disorders associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection represent a clinical challenge because they encompass a broad neurological spectrum and may occur before the diagnosis of COVID-19. Methods In this monocentric retrospective case series, medical records from patients with acute neurological disorders associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection from medicine departments of an academic center in Paris area were collected between March 15th and May 15th 2020. Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 was ascertained through specific RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs or based on circulating serum IgG antibodies . Results Twenty-six patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection presented with neurological disorders: encephalitis (N = 8), encephalopathy (N = 6), cerebrovascular events (ischemic strokes N = 4 and vein thromboses N = 2), other central nervous system (CNS) disorders (N = 4), and Guillain-Barre syndrome (N = 2). The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 was delayed on average 1.6 days after the onset of neurological disorder , especially in case of encephalitis 3.9 days, encephalopathy 1.0 day, and cerebrovascular event 2.7 days. Conclusions Our study confirms that COVID-19 can yield a broad spectrum of neurological disorders. Because neurological presentations of COVID-19 often occur a few days before the diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 infection, clinicians should take preventive measures such as patient isolation and masks for any new admission to avoid nosocomial infections. Anti-SARS-CoV2 antibody detection in RT-PCR SARS CoV-2 negative suspected cases is useful to confirm a posteriori the diagnosis of atypical COVID-19 presentations.
- Published
- 2021
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