SARS-CoV-2-Associated Acute Hemorrhagic, Necrotizing Encephalitis (AHNE) Presenting with Cognitive Impairment in a 44-Year-Old Woman without Comorbidities: A Case Report
Challenging differential diagnosis, Unusual setting of medical care, Rare disease
Ritwik Ghosh, Souvik Dubey, Josef Finsterer, Subham Chatterjee, Biman Kanti Ray
Am J Case Rep 2020; 21:e925641
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.925641
Available online: 2020-08-07
Published: 2020-08-16

CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old previously healthy woman with a history of inter-state travel developed a flu-like illness, followed by acute, steadily progressive cognitive impairment. She was admitted in a comatose state after a first tonic-clonic seizure. Blood tests were non-informative. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was indicative of AHNE. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed mild lymphocytosis with normal protein and normal glucose but an elevated IgG index. After testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, she was administered steroids. Treatment was ineffective, and the patient died.
CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 is a potential central nervous system (CNS) pathogen, which may manifest as AHNE. These patients may present with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and frontal dysexecutive syndrome, with cognitive impairment being the presenting feature of neuro-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The patient described in this report is unique for acute-onset and isolated cognitive impairments due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of clinical or radiological respiratory manifestations. These findings may help in the early detection and diagnosis of neuro-COVID-19, especially among clinicians and neurologists working in areas of endemic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19, Leukoencephalitis, Acute Hemorrhagic, SARS Virus, Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Coronavirus Infections, Encephalitis, Fatal Outcome, Immunoglobulin G, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Pandemics, Pneumonia, Viral, SARS-CoV-2, Seizures