SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in cerebrospinal fluid: Presentation of two cases and review of literature

María Belén Luis; Nora Fernández Liguori; Pablo Adrián López; Ricardo Alonso

doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100282

SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in cerebrospinal fluid: Presentation of two cases and review of literature

Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021 Aug:15:100282. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100282. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Authors

María Belén Luis¹, Nora Fernández Liguori¹, Pablo Adrián López², Ricardo Alonso¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Sanatorio Güemes - University Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
² Department of Neurology, Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Abstract

Neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection are multiple and heterogeneous. However, confirmation of nervous system impairment by viral RNA detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is uncommon. We report two cases of central nervous system (CNS) involvement with positive real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test in CSF.

Keywords: Encephalitis; Meningoencephalitis; Myelitis; Neuroimaging; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 RNA; SARS-CoV-2 infection; SARS-CoV-2 neurological manifestations.