COVID-19 and abducens nerve palsy in a 9-year-old girl-case report

Ital J Pediatr. 2022 Jun 18;48(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13052-022-01298-3.

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Although many reports have detailed a range of neurological symptoms in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, studies of neuro-ophthalmological manifestations are still scarce.

Case presentation: We report a 9-year-old girl with abducens nerve palsy after COVID-19 with no evidence of other neurological disease on neuroimaging. At 2-month follow-up clinical conditions were improved.

Conclusions: The palsy may have occurred due to a possible post-infectious immune-mediated mechanism underlying the neuropathy, as opposed to direct viral infiltration. Despite being rare, this complication must be taken into account.

Keywords: Abducens nerve palsy; Brain MRI; COVID-19; Diplopia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abducens Nerve Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Abducens Nerve Diseases* / etiology
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases* / complications
  • SARS-CoV-2