Possible affective cognitive cerebellar syndrome in a young patient with COVID-19 CNS vasculopathy and stroke.

Early case series suggest that about one-third of patients with COVID-19 present with neurological manifestations, including cerebrovascular disease, reported in 2%-6% of hospitalised patients. These are generally older patients with severe infection and comorbidities. Here we discuss the case of a previously fit and well 39-year-old man who presented with fever and respiratory symptoms, evolving in pneumonia with hypoxia but only requiring continuous positive airway pressure. After resolution of the respiratory disease, the patient developed focal neurology and was found to have bilateral occipital, thalamic and cerebellar infarcts. A diagnosis of COVID-19 central nervous system vasculopathy was made. He developed a florid neuropsychiatric syndrome, including paranoia, irritability, aggression and disinhibition, requiring treatment with antipsychotics and transfer to neurorehabilitation. Neuropsychometry revealed a wide range of cognitive deficits. The rapid evolution of the illness was matched by fast resolution of the neuropsychiatric picture with mild residual cognitive impairment.

The link between varicella and immune system: which children will develop acute cerebellitis?

INTRODUCTION: Varicella may complicate with cerebellitis in previously healthy children, requiring hospitalization. Aim of our study was to define whether children who experienced varicella cerebellitis have a normal immune system. METHODS: Patients over 3 years of age admitted at Bambino Gesù Children from January 2006 till June 2016 for cerebellitis in varicella were asked to participate to the follow-up study. The immune status was evaluated clinically and by laboratory investigations. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were included in the study. At follow up, at least one immunological alteration was detected in 80% of patients. To avoid bias due to possible effects of the recent disease, we separately analyzed patients who had the follow-up control at least 1 year (Group 1) or between 1 month and 1 year (Group 2) after the hospitalization for acute varicella cerebellitis. The results were similar in both groups with immunological alterations detected in 84,6 and 75% of the patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results indicate that sub-clinical immunological defects may correlate to cerebellitis in varicella.

Intravenous immunoglobulins in an adult case of post-EBV cerebellitis.

Post-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) cerebellitis is very rare complication of infectious mononucleosis and only a few adult cases are reported in literature. We present a 23-year-old patient who was admitted to the neurology service with worsening ataxia, nystagmus and dysarthria, 1 week after infectious mononucleosis. Imaging and cerebrospinal fluid studies were normal, serum studies revealed acute transaminitis and positive EBV viral capsid IgM and IgG. The patient underwent a 5-day course of intravenous immunoglobulins with rapid resolution of all his symptoms and was safely discharged home. The pathophysiology of post-EBV cerebellitis involves autoreactive antibodies, rather than a direct viral insult. Antineuronal antibodies might be the result of a mimicry between EBV proteins and neuronal antigens or they can be secreted by the EBV-transformed lymphocytes themselves. Many reports stress the benign, self-limiting nature of this syndrome; however, immunotherapy might de facto decrease the severity and duration of illness.

Post-Epstein-Barr Virus Acute Cerebellitis in an Adult.

BACKGROUND Acute cerebellitis in adults is a rare disease. The etiology is unknown but postulated to be due to primary infection or para-infection. Different presentations have been reported, which complicates the diagnosis process. CASE REPORT We report the case of a young man who presented with headache, vomiting, and vertigo. He was found to have ataxia and cerebellar signs, bradycardia magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed acute cerebellitis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies showed lymphocytosis. Further investigations showed the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG. His symptoms resolved completely with corticosteroid and antiviral treatments. CONCLUSIONS Acute cerebellitis can present in various ways. Bradycardia, along with neurological deficits, should raise the suspicion of acute cerebellitis.

Herpes simplex virus-1 as a rare etiology of isolated acute cerebellitis: case report and literature review.

Acute cerebellitis is one of the most common cerebellar disorders and occurs due to para-infectious, post-infectious, or post-vaccination cerebellar inflammation. Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is known as a common infectious cause of sporadic encephalitis. Cerebellar involvement of HSV-1 is rare and almost always associated with meningoencephalitis. To date, HSV-1 has been identified as the cause of acute isolated cerebellitis in only two patients. Here we report another case of isolated acute cerebellitis caused by HSV-1 in a 20-month-old boy.

Adenovirus cerebellitis in an immunocompetent 2-year-old girl.

Acute cerebellitis (AC) is a principal cause of acute cerebellar dysfunction in previously well children. Although the condition is usually benign, fatal complications include obstructive hydrocephalus and brainstem compression; therefore, prompt accurate diagnosis is vital. 1 There are various pathogens reported in the literature as aetiological agents of AC; however, adenovirus is very rarely mentioned, with only one previous case report in the literature to the best of our knowledge. 2 This case demonstrates the importance of recognising adenovirus as a cause of AC, particularly when preceded by a respiratory tract infection in the paediatric age group. Furthermore, we highlight the role of early neuroimaging in differentiating AC from other causes of acute cerebellar dysfunction, which require different management. Our patient made a full recovery with no long-term deficits demonstrating that comprehensive investigation and consideration of atypical pathogens in the context of AC is vital in securing a favourable outcome.

Magnetic resonance imaging of cerebellar cysts in a neonate with congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is one of the most common congenital viral infections in the world. Brain magnetic resonance imaging plays a key role in evaluating brain involvement and establishing prognosis; several characteristic features have been described. We present a description of cerebellar cysts in a neonate with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cytomegalovirus congenital infection, and discuss the differential diagnosis and potential pathophysiological mechanisms.

Zika Virus-Associated Cerebellitis with Complete Clinical Recovery.

Zika virus (ZIKV) was first detected in the Americas in Brazil in 2015, with a rapid spread to surrounding countries. In Panama, the outbreak began in November 2015 in an indigenous community located on the Caribbean side of the country. Zika virus is typically associated with a diffuse rash, fever, and conjunctivitis. It can rarely cause neurologic manifestations, most commonly microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Encephalitis and acute encephalomyelitis are known complications, but ZIKV-associated cerebellitis has yet to be reported in the literature. Herein, we report a case of cerebellitis in a patient infected with ZIKV. This patient developed severe frontal headache and vertigo on the third day of illness, and dysarthria and ataxia on the fifth day. After 1 week of hospitalization, the patient completely recovered. The laboratory serological diagnosis was complicated because of the detection of antibodies against dengue, suggesting a secondary flavivirus infection.

Dengue Cerebellitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Dengue-associated neurological manifestations have recently been on the rise. Cerebellar syndrome complicating dengue fever has rarely been reported in the literature. We present a case report of dengue-associated cerebellar syndrome and performed a literature review to draw attention to this rare neurological complication. CASE REPORT A 60-year-old man presented with 4 days of fever, myalgia, arthralgia, headaches, and warning symptoms (persistent diarrhea and vomiting). He was admitted with serologically-confirmed dengue fever. He had been well until day 8 of illness, when he developed cerebellar signs and symptoms. The temporal relationship with the recent dengue fever suggested that he had dengue cerebellitis. He recovered well, with no neurological sequelae upon our clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS Dengue cerebellitis is a rare but recognized manifestation, which should be considered in patients from endemic areas of dengue fever who develop cerebellar syndrome.

JC Virus Granule Cell Neuronopathy as AIDS-Presenting Illness.

JC virus is the etiological agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a white matter demyelinating disease that mostly affects immunocompromised patients. JC virus can also infect neurons and meningeal cells and cause encephalitis, meningitis and granule cell neuronopathy. We report a patient with JC virus granule cell neuronopathy, without concomitant progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, presenting as inaugural acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related illness. This patient's human immunodeficiency virus infection remained undiagnosed for several months after neurological symptoms onset. We review JC virus pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis, and emphasize the importance of considering human immunodeficiency virus infection and related opportunistic infections in the differential diagnosis of new-onset isolated cerebellar disease.

Neurological Manifestations of Dengue Infection.

Dengue counts among the most commonly encountered arboviral diseases, representing the fastest spreading tropical illness in the world. It is prevalent in 128 countries, and each year >2.5 billion people are at risk of dengue virus infection worldwide. Neurological signs of dengue infection are increasingly reported. In this review, the main neurological complications of dengue virus infection, such as central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system, and ophthalmic complications were discussed according to clinical features, treatment and possible pathogenesis. In addition, neurological complications in children were assessed due to their atypical clinical features. Finally, dengue infection and Japanese encephalitis were compared for pathogenesis and main clinical manifestations.

[A 4-year-old girl with diarrhoea, paresis and mutism]. / En fire år gammel jente med diaré, kraftsvikt og mutisme.

BACKGROUND Rotavirus is a common cause of gastroenteritis in children. Neurological manifestations associated with rotavirus infections are well described and range from benign afebrile convulsions to lethal encephalopathy or encephalitis.CASE PRESENTATION We present an uncommon neurological manifestation in a Caucasian child in the course of a rotavirus infection. A 4-year old girl presented with mutism, hypotonia and reduced consciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffusion abnormalities in the splenium corpus callosum and bilaterally in the nuclei dentate in the cerebellum. She was diagnosed with rotavirus cerebellitis.INTERPRETATION Her clinical symptoms and the magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were uncommon and previously described in only a few Caucasian children. The outcome has varied, and some children have shown long term neurological sequela. Treatment with immunoglobulins and corticosteroids has been used in similar cases, but there is no established treatment for this condition.

JC virus granule cell neuronopathy: A cause of infectious cerebellar degeneration.

JC virus (JCV) infection of glial cells can lead to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunocompromised patients. A newly described phenotype of the infection is infection of neurons. This distinct clinical and radiological syndrome is named JCV granule cell neuronopathy, characterized by exclusive or predominant cerebellar atrophy. We report the clinical and radiological longitudinal findings of 5 HIV-infected patients referred to us between September 2004 and November 2011 who exhibited JCV granule cell neuronopathy (4 probable cases and 1 possible). The association of immunocompromised status, progressive cerebellar syndrome, MRI abnormalities with cortical cerebellar atrophy and cerebrospinal fluid positive for JCV on PCR allowed for a highly probable diagnosis. The reversal of the immunocompromised status is the only way to stop the disease evolution. Motor functioning can remain impaired, but the illness itself, unlike progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, does not seem to threaten life.

Spontaneously resolving cerebellar syndrome as a sequelae of dengue viral infection: a case series from Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is hyperendemic for dengue viral infection. Dengue has a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations including previously reported Sri Lankan cases with a 6th nerve palsy and a cerebellar syndrome from a co-infection with dengue and Epstein-Barr virus. This series describes a spontaneously resolving cerebellar syndrome following a dengue viral infection. Dengue is potentially an important cause of cerebellar syndromes in countries hyperendemic for the disease; patients need further studies to identify the responsible serotypes.

Reversible diffusion restriction of the middle cerebellar peduncles and dentate nucleus in acute respiratory syncytial virus cerebellitis: a case report.

Acute cerebellitis is a postinfectious or postvaccinal disorder that predominantly affects children. The typical magnetic resonance imaging appearance has been previously described as cerebellar hemispheric cortical edema. Here, we report a rare case of respiratory syncytial virus-related cerebellitis with transient diffusion restriction of cerebellar peduncles and dentate nucleus. Differential diagnoses are also discussed.