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Case Reports
. 2021 Jan;60(1):73-76.
doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.10.010. Epub 2020 Oct 9.

Acute Cerebellar Ataxia in COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

Adriana Povlow  1 , Andrew J Auerbach  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Acute Cerebellar Ataxia in COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

Adriana Povlow et al. J Emerg Med. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widely reported to cause symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Neurologic complications have not been widely reported without associated respiratory symptoms. These neurologic manifestations have been found mostly in the elderly. There has been no report of ataxia or COVID-19 cerebellitis in the young adult population without associated respiratory symptoms.

Case report: Here we report the case of a 30-year-old patient who presented with isolated cerebellar symptoms and was diagnosed with COVID-19 cerebellitis. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: It is important for emergency physicians to know that COVID-19 can have many clinical manifestations and to have a high level of suspicion with acute neurologic symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 infection; acute cerebellar ataxia; cerebellar ataxia; cerebellitis; coronavirus.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Computed tomography angiogram of head and neck demonstrating partially visualized consolidations in the posterior, bilateral upper lungs concerning for multifocal pneumonia.
Figure 2
Figure 2
T1 post-gadolinium enhanced axial magnetic resonance image through the level of the cerebellum showing a normal appearance of the cerebellum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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