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Acute Cerebellar Ataxia in COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report
Adriana Povlow1, Andrew J Auerbach1
1Department of Emergency Medicine, UT Health-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|November 19, 2020
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause rare, isolated neurological symptoms like ataxia in young adults. This case highlights COVID-19 cerebellitis presenting without respiratory issues, emphasizing the need for broad clinical suspicion.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) typically presents with respiratory symptoms.
- Neurologic complications are less common and often associated with respiratory involvement, primarily in the elderly.
- Limited reports exist on ataxia or cerebellitis in young adults without respiratory symptoms.
Observation:
- A 30-year-old patient presented with isolated cerebellar symptoms.
- The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 cerebellitis.
- No respiratory symptoms were present in this case.
Findings:
- This case represents a rare presentation of COVID-19 cerebellitis in a young adult.
- The patient exhibited isolated cerebellar dysfunction without typical respiratory signs of COVID-19.
- Diagnostic confirmation of COVID-19 cerebellitis was established.
Implications:
- Emergency physicians must consider COVID-19 as a potential cause of acute neurological symptoms, even in young adults.
- High clinical suspicion is crucial for diagnosing COVID-19 cerebellitis when neurological deficits are the primary presentation.
- Recognizing diverse COVID-19 manifestations is vital for timely diagnosis and patient management.
