RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Acute Ascending Necrotizing Myelitis After COVID-19 Infection: A Clinicopathologic Report
JF Neurology: Clinical Practice
FD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
SP e28
OP e32
DO 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000001175
VO 12
IS 3
A1 Guada, Luis
A1 Cabrero, Franklyn Rocha
A1 Baldwin, Nicole L.
A1 Levi, Allan D.
A1 Gultekin, Sakir H.
A1 Verma, Ashok
YR 2022
UL http://cp.neurology.org/content/12/3/e28.abstract
AB Objectives Neurologic manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) infection are common and varied. The objective of this report was to describe clinicopathologic findings of rare acute ascending necrotizing myelitis (ANM) and briefly summarize similar COVID-19–associated longitudinally extended transverse myelitis cases.Methods We described the clinical presentation, disease course, diagnostic workup, therapeutic measures, and pathologic findings of ANM associated with COVID-19 infection.Results A 31-year-old previously healthy woman developed a longitudinally extensive lower thoracic myelopathy 3 weeks after COVID-19 infection. The thoracic spinal cord lesion extended to cervical level in 1 week and to the lower medullary level in 2 more weeks. Thoracic laminectomy at T5-T6 level and cord biopsy revealed necrobiotic changes without viral particles or microglial nodules. The clinical deficit stabilized after immunomodulatory and eculizumab therapies.Discussion COVID-19 infection can cause ANM. It adds to the spectrum of reported cases of COVID-19 –associated encephalitis and myelitis.