Three Patients With Chorea and Positive Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Antibody: Is This the Link Between Hyperkinetic von Economo Disease and COVID-19?

Cureus. 2023 Mar 1;15(3):e35666. doi: 10.7759/cureus.35666. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Chorea, hemichorea, and other movement disorders have been reported after different pandemics since Constantin von Economo's time. In the current COVID-19 pandemic, numerous delayed neurological manifestations have been reported in the postinfectious or postvaccination periods. However, very few of these are movement disorders in nature; there are even fewer voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) antibody-related movement disorder cases in the literature. We encountered three patients with some COVID-19-related issues featuring both chorea and VGKC antibody. Modern medical science and technology may be able to further our understanding of the molecular basis of von Economo disease and reveal a possible link to COVID-19 along with the immunomodulation aspect of its treatment.

Keywords: chorea; covid-19; postinfectious; voltage-gated potassium channel antibody; von economo disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports