COVID-19 encephalitis in a young adult male treated with combination therapy: A case report.
- Author:
Victor J. Guerrero
1
;
Angelito H. Reyes
2
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Reports
- From: Philippine Journal of Neurology 2021;24(2):17-23
- CountryPhilippines
- Language:English
- Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection primarily affects the respiratory system leading to majority of intensive care unit admissions; nevertheless, neurologic manifestations and complications occur and are now being reported. We present a case of a 19-year-old male who tested positive for COVID-19 and manifested with headache, drowsiness and eventually went into coma. Cerebrospinal fluid analyses during the early course of illness showed predominance of lymphocytes but were negative for COVID-19 and other viral or bacterial organisms. Cranial MRI showed bright signals in the splenium of the corpus callosum. The patient was treated with a combination of antivirals, convalescent plasma therapy and high dose steroid therapy. Progressive improvement in clinical status was observed after the combination therapy including high-dose steroid, suggesting a possible inflammatory mechanism of COVID-19-related encephalitis. The diagnosis of COVID-19 encephalitis can be challenging but it must be considered in any COVID-19 positive patient presenting with symptoms of encephalitis, such as fever, seizures or altered sensorium. Anticipation of long-term care should also be taken into consideration since the long-term sequelae of CNS COVID-19 are largely unknown.
- Full text:COVID-19 encephalitis.pdf
