Open AccessConcurrent Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome in a Child Secondary to COVID-19 Infection
Author(s) -
Daisy Khera,
Siyaram Didel,
Samhita Panda,
Sarbesh Tiwari,
Kriti Singh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the pediatric infectious disease journal/the pediatric infectious disease journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1532-0987
pISSN - 0891-3668
DOI - 10.1097/inf.0000000000003124
Subject(s) - medicine , transverse myelitis , pediatrics , serology , guillain barre syndrome , acute transverse myelitis , covid-19 , coronavirus , myopericarditis , disease , pathology , immunology , multiple sclerosis , infectious disease (medical specialty) , antibody , myocarditis
Neurologic manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children is evolving with time. We are reporting a young girl who presented to us with acute febrile illness followed by acute onset severe flaccid paralysis requiring prolonged intensive care unit stay and ventilator support. She was evaluated extensively and found to be positive for COVID serology, and neuroimaging revealed features of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) with enhancing cauda equina nerve roots, suggesting Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). She failed to respond to immune suppressive therapy and needed plasma exchange for recovery. Like other common viral illnesses, COVID-19 can also act as a trigger for GBS-like illness and LETM, and we need to suspect these diagnoses in the cases with COVID-19 infection in compatible cases. This is probably the first pediatric case with concurrent GBS and LETM secondary to COVID-19 infection.