A wide spectrum of neurological manifestations in pediatrics patients with the COVID-19 infection: a case series

J Neurovirol. 2021 Oct;27(5):782-786. doi: 10.1007/s13365-021-01004-9. Epub 2021 Aug 26.

Abstract

Neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients can also be found in the pediatric population, but they are usually described as mild symptoms. Herein, we described a case series of four pediatric patients with severe and highly heterogeneous central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. The objective was to report neurological manifestations of COVID-19 in children and adolescents. The design is case series. The participants are four children and adolescents with confirmed COVID-19. The main outcome and measures are as follows: Clinical data were gathered from electronic medical records, and data of all neurologic symptoms were checked by a trained neurologist. We reported four pediatric patients with COVID-19 and different neurologic symptoms. Case 1 was a 16-year-old girl with a sensory and motor polyradiculopathy with RT-qPCR for COVID-19 and dengue both detected in CSF that improved after appropriate treatment. Case 2 was a 15-year-old boy with Guillain-Barre syndrome and had good response after using human immunoglobulin. Case 3 was a 5-year-old girl with acute intracranial hypertension that improved after going through lumbar puncture and using acetazolamide. Case 4 was a 2-month-old male infant with focal epileptic seizures that recovered after antiepileptic treatment. We highlight the need to consider different neurologic manifestations as part of the COVID-19 clinical spectrum.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epilepsy; Guillain-barré syndrome; Idiopathic intracranial hypertension; Polyradiculoneuropathy; SARS-CoV-2 Infection; Seizure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Nervous System Diseases / virology*
  • SARS-CoV-2