Acute transverse myelitis progressing to permanent quadriplegia following COVID-19 infection.
Am J Emerg Med
; 56: 391.e1-391.e3, 2022 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35248410
ABSTRACT
As of January 2022, there have been over 350 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world. The most common symptoms in those infected are fever, cough, malaise, and myalgia, however pulmonary, hematologic, gastrointestinal, renal, and neurologic complications have also been reported. Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is an uncommon neurological syndrome characterized by acute or subacute spinal cord dysfunction that can lead to paresthesias, sensory and autonomic impairment, and even paralysis. Etiologies are often unclear; however, potential causes include infection, neoplastic, drug or toxin induced, autoimmune, and acquired. Treatment for ATM primarily consists of steroids and plasmapheresis, which often reverses any neurologic symptoms. ATM has rarely been reported as a complication of COVID-19 infections. A 43-year-old female presented to the emergency department for evaluation of progressive numbness and tingling in her legs ten days after developing upper respiratory symptoms from a COVID-19 infection. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a diagnosis of ATM. During her hospital course, she experienced rapid progression of her paresthesias and developed complete loss of motor function in her upper and lower extremities. Within 48 hours after emergency department arrival, she required intubation due to worsening diaphragmatic and chest wall paralysis. Her treatment included a long-term steroid regimen and plasmapheresis, and unfortunately, she did not have any neurologic recovery. We present a very rare case of ATM progressing to complete quadriplegia following COVID-19 infection.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
COVID-19
/
Mielite Transversa
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article