Open AccessNeurological complications in COVID-19 – a diagnostic challenge
Author(s) -
Vitalie Văcăraş,
Sorina Frunze,
Adrian Cordoș
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medicine and life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.354
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1844-3117
pISSN - 1844-122X
DOI - 10.25122/jml-2021-0045
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , headaches , intensive care medicine , pandemic , concomitant , pediatrics , pathology , surgery , disease , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty)
With the exponential growth of COVID-19 cases, the neurological complications reported during or after the infection became more common. There is limited knowledge regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms that are responsible for these complications. Recent data provides compelling evidence for the neurotropic nature of SARS-CoV-2, based on neurological manifestations reported during the current pandemic, as well as on previous experience with other coronaviruses. We present the case of a patient who developed headaches, motor deficit and dysphasia after respiratory COVID-19. Imaging tests showed heterogeneous central nervous system lesions (multiple subarachnoid hemorrhages and two ischemic strokes). Given the plethora of atypical neurological complications of COVID-19 described in the current literature, establishing a positive diagnosis and deciding on a treatment plan proved to be particularly challenging. We set to discuss some of the possible pathologies, hypothesized to be associated with COVID-19, that could lead to concomitant neurological lesions, similar to those noticed in our patient.