A Case of Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis Following COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

One of the rare complications following acute COVID-19 infection is acute transverse myelitis (ATM). With only a few cases of ATM reported in the literature, an addition of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) diagnosed in our patient would underscore the complexity and diversity of neurological manifestations associated with this viral illness. A 54-year-old patient presented to the emergency department with fever, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. The patient's nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) resulted positive. Few days later, the patient developed bilateral upper, lower extremities weakness, back pain, urinary retention and dysphagia. Subsequently, the clinical presentation, MRI, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and laboratory findings pointed toward LETM as a complication of COVID-19 infection over other differentials. The aggressiveness of this disease necessitated high-dose steroids and plasmapheresis, pain control medication and rehabilitation which led to a slight improvement in the neurological symptoms at the time of discharge to the rehabilitation facility.