Encefalopatías y encefalitis durante la infección aguda por SARS-CoV2. Registro de la Sociedad Española de Neurología SEN COVID-19

Severe Neurological Manifestations of Covid-19: Case Series

“…In the study conducted by Abildúa et al alterations were found in 23.5% of cranial CT performed and in only 15.7% of brain MRI, concluding that these radiological studies showed low specificity and sensitivity in the diagnosis of encephalopathies and encephalitis resulting from COVID-19 27 . Contrarily, in the study undertaken by Meppiel et al, of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 66.7% had brain MRI with alterations compatible with encephalitis 14 .…”

“…Encephalopathy and encephalitis were the most frequent complications found in a recent study that included 232 cases of patients with neurological manifestations resulting from COVID-19, representing 21.9% of the total cases 27 . The third patient presented a clinical status compatible with encephalitis, with headache and focal neurological deficit as the main symptoms, since the first hospitalization, evolving with clinical worsening of mental status and fever.…”

“…Mortality rates of COVID-19-related inflammatory neurological diseases found in literature also vary, ranging from 4.8% to 12% 14,15,27 .…”

“…Contrarily, in the study undertaken by Meppiel et al, of the patients diagnosed with COVID-19, 66.7% had brain MRI with alterations compatible with encephalitis 14 . Compared to the results obtained from imaging tests, EEG has been the most sensitive test in the diagnosis of encephalitis and encephalopathies, showing alterations in 93.3% of patients diagnosed with encephalitis related to COVID-19 14,27 . Two studies suggest a possible EEG pattern specific to COVID-19 patients, showing periodic monomorphic and biphasic slow delta waves in frontal areas 15 .…”

COVID-19 and neurologic manifestations: a synthesis from the child neurologist’s corner

“…The proven presence of SARS-CoV-2 in Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or brain tissue samples has been reported only in isolated cases [ 47 – 50 ]. Therefore, most encephalitis cases are probably due to an immune-mediated mechanism and not by direct invasion of the CNS [ 51 ]. Cases of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported across all ages and with various clinical manifestations, such as psychosis and status epilepticus [ 50 , 52 – 57 ].…”