Multiple sclerosis following SARS-CoV-2 infection

M Palao; E Fernández-Díaz; J Gracia-Gil; C M Romero-Sánchez; I Díaz-Maroto; T Segura

doi:10.1016/j.msard.2020.102377

Multiple sclerosis following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Oct:45:102377. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102377. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Authors

M Palao¹, E Fernández-Díaz², J Gracia-Gil², C M Romero-Sánchez², I Díaz-Maroto², T Segura²

Affiliations

¹ Neurology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Castilla- La Mancha, Spain. Electronic address: mariapalaorico@gmail.com.
² Neurology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Castilla- La Mancha, Spain.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection can produce neurological features. The most common are headache, anosmia and dysgeusia but patients may also develop other central nervous system (CNS) injuries. We present a patient affected by Covid-19 who initially consulted for decreased visual acuity. The MRI showed inflammation in the right optic nerve and demyelinating lesions in the CNS. We speculate that an immune mechanism induced by SARS-CoV-2, which can activate lymphocytes and an inflammatory response, plays a role in the clinical onset of the disease. This pathogen may be associated with either the triggering or the exacerbation of inflammatory/demyelinating disease.

Keywords: COVID-19; Demyelinating disease; MHV-59; Optic neuritis; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / complications*
Female
Humans
Multiple Sclerosis / epidemiology*
Multiple Sclerosis / pathology
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
SARS-CoV-2