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Paraspinal Myositis in Patients with COVID-19 Infection

W A Mehan1, B C Yoon1, M Lang1

  • 1From the Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|August 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Paraspinal myositis, inflammation of muscles along the spine, was found in 78% of COVID-19 patients undergoing spinal MR imaging. This finding highlights a potential complication of coronavirus disease 2019.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Radiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Myalgia is a known symptom of COVID-19.
  • Paraspinal myositis has not been previously reported in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report MR imaging findings of paraspinal myositis in patients with COVID-19.
  • To determine the frequency of paraspinal myositis in a cohort of COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of MR imaging of the spine.
  • Inclusion of 9 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection.
  • Analysis of imaging for evidence of paraspinal myositis (edema/enhancement).

Main Results:

  • 7 out of 9 COVID-19 patients (78%) showed MR imaging evidence of paraspinal myositis.
  • Paraspinal myositis was characterized by intramuscular edema and/or enhancement.
  • Five of the seven patients with paraspinal myositis had prolonged hospital stays (>25 days).

Conclusions:

  • Paraspinal myositis is a relatively frequent finding in COVID-19 patients undergoing spinal MR imaging.
  • Clinicians should be aware of this potential manifestation of COVID-19.
  • Further research is needed to understand the clinical significance and implications of paraspinal myositis in COVID-19.

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