SARS coronavirus 2 and central nervous system manifestations: causation, relation, or coexistence? a case series study and literature review

Br J Neurosurg. 2023 Oct;37(5):1301-1306. doi: 10.1080/02688697.2020.1861433. Epub 2020 Dec 21.

Abstract

Introduction: Recently, weeks after the COVID-19 prevalence, there were reports of brain involvement and neurologic presentations in the COVID-19.

Case presentation: We present five cases of COVID-19 and cerebrovascular events. A 34-year-old woman with IVH and ischemic stroke. A 60-year-old man with multiple small hemorrhagic foci and mild IVH in the occipital horn. A 63-year-old woman with large left parietooccipital intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and IVH. A 56-year-old man with left hemispheric and midbrain ICH, lateral ventricular IVH, and hydrocephalus. A 85-year-old woman with right parietal hemorrhagic infarct. The coagulation profile was normal in all of them. The chest CT scan showed the typical ground-glass appearance of COVID-19.

Conclusions: Recently, there were reports of brain involvement and neurologic presentations in the COVID-19. These reports and the present study necessitate the aimed and designed studies with emphasis on neurologic presentations in COVID-19 patients to illustrate the exact effects of coronavirus-2 on the central nervous system.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus-2; ICH; IVH; cerebrovascular events.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Central Nervous System
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / complications
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrocephalus* / complications
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2