SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis

Introduction: In addition to known systemic manifestations, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause serious neurological manifestations as a result of damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Case report: A 62-year-old male with medical history of arterial hypertension and type 2 dia...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jasmina Poluga, Aleksandra Barać, Nataša Katanić, Branko Milošević, Nataša Nikolić, Goran Stevanović, Jovan Malinić, Uroš Karić, Boris Jegorović, Miloš Šabanović, Martina Jug, Jaroslava Jovanović, Ivana Poluga, Svetislav Pelemiš, Mirjana Stjepanović, Jelena Micić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/19952
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850112959797264384
author Jasmina Poluga
Aleksandra Barać
Nataša Katanić
Branko Milošević
Nataša Nikolić
Goran Stevanović
Jovan Malinić
Uroš Karić
Boris Jegorović
Miloš Šabanović
Martina Jug
Jaroslava Jovanović
Ivana Poluga
Svetislav Pelemiš
Mirjana Stjepanović
Jelena Micić
author_facet Jasmina Poluga
Aleksandra Barać
Nataša Katanić
Branko Milošević
Nataša Nikolić
Goran Stevanović
Jovan Malinić
Uroš Karić
Boris Jegorović
Miloš Šabanović
Martina Jug
Jaroslava Jovanović
Ivana Poluga
Svetislav Pelemiš
Mirjana Stjepanović
Jelena Micić
author_sort Jasmina Poluga
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: In addition to known systemic manifestations, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause serious neurological manifestations as a result of damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Case report: A 62-year-old male with medical history of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus was admitted to the hospital, complaining of high fever, fatigue, cough, and disturbed mental state. He was diagnosed with COVID-19, had fever of up to 38 °C 7 days before admission, dry cough, and became disoriented and psychotic after 5 days. The chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) of the head were normal. Following a lumbar puncture, the patient was diagnosed with encephalitis based on clinical and laboratory findings (pleocytosis and hyperproteinorachia in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)). CSF was checked with the polymerase chain reaction meningitis-encephalitis panel which excludes the more common viral or bacterial causes of encephalitis. Anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, gastroprotective, and other symptomatic medications were administered. Ataxic gait was the only focal neurological abnormality identified during neurological assessment. The chest CT did not reveal COVID-19 pneumonia and brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed only cortical reductive brain alterations. The COVID-19 swab test after 10 days was negative. The patient was recovered and released from hospital treatment with normal physical findings and without neurological abnormalities. Conclusions: The diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) encephalitis can be challenging, and it is usually based on the exclusion of other etiological agents of brain infections.
format Article
id doaj-art-b661e00f20cb4d269a6aeb55d3199b29
institution OA Journals
issn 1972-2680
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
record_format Article
series Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
spelling doaj-art-b661e00f20cb4d269a6aeb55d3199b292025-08-20T02:37:16ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802025-05-01190510.3855/jidc.19952SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitisJasmina Poluga0Aleksandra Barać1Nataša Katanić2Branko Milošević3Nataša Nikolić4Goran Stevanović5Jovan Malinić6Uroš Karić7Boris Jegorović8Miloš Šabanović9Martina Jug10Jaroslava Jovanović11Ivana Poluga12Svetislav Pelemiš13Mirjana Stjepanović14Jelena Micić15Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Zvezdara, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Introduction: In addition to known systemic manifestations, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause serious neurological manifestations as a result of damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Case report: A 62-year-old male with medical history of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus was admitted to the hospital, complaining of high fever, fatigue, cough, and disturbed mental state. He was diagnosed with COVID-19, had fever of up to 38 °C 7 days before admission, dry cough, and became disoriented and psychotic after 5 days. The chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) of the head were normal. Following a lumbar puncture, the patient was diagnosed with encephalitis based on clinical and laboratory findings (pleocytosis and hyperproteinorachia in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)). CSF was checked with the polymerase chain reaction meningitis-encephalitis panel which excludes the more common viral or bacterial causes of encephalitis. Anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, gastroprotective, and other symptomatic medications were administered. Ataxic gait was the only focal neurological abnormality identified during neurological assessment. The chest CT did not reveal COVID-19 pneumonia and brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed only cortical reductive brain alterations. The COVID-19 swab test after 10 days was negative. The patient was recovered and released from hospital treatment with normal physical findings and without neurological abnormalities. Conclusions: The diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) encephalitis can be challenging, and it is usually based on the exclusion of other etiological agents of brain infections. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/19952SARS-CoV-2neurological manifestationsencephalitis
spellingShingle Jasmina Poluga
Aleksandra Barać
Nataša Katanić
Branko Milošević
Nataša Nikolić
Goran Stevanović
Jovan Malinić
Uroš Karić
Boris Jegorović
Miloš Šabanović
Martina Jug
Jaroslava Jovanović
Ivana Poluga
Svetislav Pelemiš
Mirjana Stjepanović
Jelena Micić
SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
SARS-CoV-2
neurological manifestations
encephalitis
title SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
title_full SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
title_fullStr SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
title_full_unstemmed SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
title_short SARS-CoV-2 associated encephalitis
title_sort sars cov 2 associated encephalitis
topic SARS-CoV-2
neurological manifestations
encephalitis
url https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/19952
work_keys_str_mv AT jasminapoluga sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT aleksandrabarac sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT natasakatanic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT brankomilosevic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT natasanikolic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT goranstevanovic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT jovanmalinic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT uroskaric sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT borisjegorovic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT milossabanovic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT martinajug sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT jaroslavajovanovic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT ivanapoluga sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT svetislavpelemis sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT mirjanastjepanovic sarscov2associatedencephalitis
AT jelenamicic sarscov2associatedencephalitis