Central nervous system and muscle involvement in dengue patients: A study from a tertiary care center

Neurological involvement in dengue virus (DENV) infection is being increasingly reported. There is paucity of studies evaluating the relative frequency of central nervous system (CNS) and muscle involvement in dengue.

To evaluate the frequency and prognosis of neurological and muscle involvement in dengue, and correlate these with dengue subtypes.

Consecutive dengue patients were included, and their clinical features, laboratory investigations and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings were recorded. Cranial MRI was done in unconscious patients and electromyography and nerve conduction study in patients with flaccid weakness. Patients were categorized into encephalopathy, encephalitis, immune mediated and dengue associated muscle dysfunction (DAMD). Outcome at 1 month and its predictors were evaluated.

116 patients aged 5-70 years were included; 82 had dengue fever (DF), 18 had dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and 16 had dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Neurological manifestations were present in 92 (79%); encephalopathy in 17 (15%), encephalitis in 22 (19%), transverse myelitis in 1 (1%) and DAMD in 52 (45%) patients. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was commoner in DHF/DSS compared to DF (44% vs 26%). 10 patients with CNS involvement died versus 1 with DAMD. The patients in the CNS group had more frequent hypotension, renal dysfunction and respiratory failure compared to the DAMD group, and had worse outcome. DENV2 and DENV3 were the commonest serotypes, but serotypes did not differ between CNS and DAMD groups.

DAMD is commoner than CNS involvement in dengue. CNS involvement however, is associated with more serious illness and predicts poorer outcome.