Cranial polyneuropathy as the first manifestation of a severe COVID-19
in a child
Abstract
We report a rare acute neurological complication associated with
COVID-19 in a 6-year-old girl with hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation (HSCT) for sickle cell anemia. 21 days after transplant
she presented an acute facial diplegia, followed by a swallowing and
left sensitive involvement, associated with an MRI T2 hypersignal and
gadolinium enhancement of facial and hypoglossal nerves. Fever and
severe respiratory symptoms appeared secondarily leading to the
diagnosis of COVID-19. This cranial polyneuropathy in a child was
inaugural, questioning the typical post-infectious mechanism. Physicians
should consider SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cranial nerve abnormalities
even without respiratory manifestations or fever.